Need For Stability

How long will the people of Guinea-Bissau continue to wait before they can enjoy lasting peace? This question comes in the wake of a series of coups d’état that have shaken the country. Since gaining independence in 1973, Guinea- Bissau has experienced five successful coups d’état as well as 17 coup attempts. During each of these coups, the army, after seizing power, suspends the constitution and political parties, installs a transitional government, and announces a series of attractive reforms. Several months or years later, however, little comes of them. The same problems keep re­ curring, and another cycle of instability begins. Fifty-three years after independence, another chapter be­ gan unfolding last Sunday with the organization of a refe­ rendum. As in the past, what has changed this time is not so much the content, but the actors and the modus ope­ randi. While the current authorities are proposing, through a referendum, the replacement of the current semi-presi­ dential system with a stronger presidential model that would give the Head of State greater authority over the executive and the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister, the opposition has rejected the proposed changes and urged its supporters not to back the reforms. They argue that the draft would weaken the prime minister, su­ bordinate parliament and political parties, and concentrate too much power in the presidency. Despite these concerns, it is time to make peace in Guinea- Bissau. Whether or not the constitution was designed to clarify the hierarchy of power and prevent repeated conflict between the president and the prime minister, as the go­ vernment claims, the need for dialogue is more urgent than ever. The government, political parties, and civil society must chart a path toward peace. Most people are more concerned about political stability and living conditions. The focus should therefore be on re...