Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bissau (Agenzia Fides) - “The procedures according to the Constitution have been respected and the President of the National Assembly, Raimundo Pereira, is now President ad interim. Today, March 13, Parliament has reopened its sessions, and there is general calm,” Fr. Davide Sciocco, PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions) missionary told Agenzia Fides. Fr. Sciocco is the Director of Radio Sol Mansi, the Catholic radio station in Guinea Bissau. On March 10, funeral services were held for President Joao Bernardo “Nino” Vieira, who has been killed by soldiers on March 2, just hours after an attack that took the life of the Chief of Staff, General Tagmé Na Waié (see Fides 2/3/2009).
“According to the Constitution, elections should be held within 60 days, however there are organizational and financial difficulties that could postpone them. In fact, no date has been determined for the presidential elections,” the missionary said.
African Union President Muhammar Gheddafi (President of Libya), who visited Guinea Bissau, has affirmed that “the 60-day time period called for by the Constitution is too short for organizing presidential elections,” implying that the National Assembly could change the constitutional norm.
“As far as investigations are concerned, the military commission has finished its investigation but have not published the results, and another special commission continues its investigation. No specifics have been mentioned, except for the fact that the bomb used to kill General Tagmé Na Waié came from Thailand,” the missionary said. This fact has been revealed by Prime Minister Carlos Gomes, and Defense Minister Marciano Silva Barbeiro, in two different meetings held with their foreign counterparts from the Economic Community Of West African States.
In the funerals held for President Vieira, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor condemned the violence and asked local politicians to work for the good of the population, especially by reinforcing the public institutions. The Catholic Bishops are working along with the leaders of other religions to draw up a joint declaration regarding the country's situation. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 13/3/2009)
