Vaz Elected President of Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau’s electoral commission says Jose Mario Vaz has won the presidential election.  The commission says Vaz, the candidate of the ruling PAIGC party, received 61.9 percent of the vote in Sunday’s second-round poll.  He defeated independent candidate Nuno Gomes Nabiam, who also trailed Vaz in the first round of voting in April.

The election was aimed at restoring constitutional order in the West African country after a 2012 military coup.  Guinea-Bissau has a history of coups, unrest and assassination attempts since winning independence from Portugal in 1974.  PAIGC will hold a majority of seats in the new parliament.

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