Guinea-Bissau gained independence in 1974, with Luís Cabral-brother of independence leader Amílcar Cabral, becoming its first president.
Guinea-Bissau operates under a semi-presidential system featuring a president and a prime minister, a unicameral National People’s Assembly, and an independent judiciary. Despite a multiparty structure, the nation’s politics remain highly unstable. The president is elected by absolute majority, with up to two five-year terms allowed (Election Guide, AP News, Reuters). Legislative seats are allocated through proportional representation in multi-member constituencies, along with a small diaspora representation.

Political transitions have been marked by recurring coups:
– 1980: General João Bernardo Vieira seized power from Luís Cabral in a bloodless coup
– 1998–99: A civil war led to Vieira’s ouster via military intervention.
– 2003: General Seabra led a coup removing President Kumba Ialá and installed a transitional government.
– 2012: Another coup disrupted elections and triggered a transitional administration.

Since 1994, Guinea-Bissau held multiple elections, but democratic consolidation has been weak, with presidents often unable to complete full terms due to instability. Recent years have seen continuing turmoil under President Umaro Sissoco Embaló who was elected in 2020. His term has been marred by dissent. He dissolved parliament in 2022, postponed elections, and faced coup attempts in 2022 and 2023.

In the June 2023 legislative elections, the opposition coalition PAI–Terra Ranka, led by PAIGC, won a majority in parliament, limiting Embaló’s push for constitutional reforms.