Guinean authorities dissolved dozens of political parties late yesterday and installed two main opposition forces under surveillance, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
As of 2021, the West African country is ruled by a military junta that ousted President Alpha Conde.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is demanding that power in Guinea be returned to civilians. Elections are scheduled for next year.
The mass dissolution of 53 political parties and the three-month suspension of 54 other political forces is unprecedented for Guinea, which held its first democratic elections in 2010 after decades of authoritarian rule.
The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization said the authorities' move was based on an evaluation of all political parties that began in June. The assessment was intended to lead to a "clearing of the political chessboard", the ministry said.
A total of 67 parties, whose activity will be put under surveillance for a period of three months, can function normally, but must eliminate the irregularities that the authorities found during the assessment. Among these 67 parties are the Guinean People's Union, which is the party of former president Alpha Conde, and the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea, which is another major opposition force.
Guinea is one of the countries in West Africa where the military rules. There are also military juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
/BZ/
Source: www.bta.bg