Coup-prone Guinea-Bissau voted on Sunday in presidential and legislative elections, with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in a tight contest to become the first leader in three decades to win a second consecutive term in the West African nation.
He is up against 11 other candidates, the strongest of them being relative political newcomer Fernando Dias, who has the backing of the party that led the fight for independence from Portugal in the 1960s and 1970s.
That party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, was barred from fielding its own candidates for the first time after authorities said it filed papers late.
Analysts are predicting a close race between Embalo and Dias, and a runoff will be held if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote.
Wearing his customary red keffiyeh, Embalo voted on Sunday in the eastern city of Gabu, expressing confidence he would win.
“I call on everyone to vote massively, to elect the person who will bring stability and progress to Guinea-Bissau, to build this country,” he said.
Vote counting began shortly after polls closed at 1700 GMT.
Turnout exceeded 65% and provisional results will be announced on Thursday, Idrissa Diallo, spokesperson for the national electoral commission, told a press briefing late Sunday.