President-elect of Guinea Bissau, Mr. Jose Mario Vaz
President-elect of Guinea Bissau, Mr. Jose Mario Vaz, has appealed for financial support from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) towards the organisation of his investiture on June 17.
He said his country is going through a terrible economic crisis that is threatening the organisation of the inaugural ceremony and therefore sought the support of ECOWAS for a bail out.
Mr. Vaz made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on ECOWAS Chairman, President John Dramani Mahama at Peduase Lodge in the Akwapim East District of the Eastern Region.
Painting the precarious economic situation of his country, the president-elect said for seven months, civil servants in the country had not been paid their salaries.
Guinea Bissau, a former Portuguese colony held its first round of elections in April this year that led to a run-off in May, which Mr. Vaz won.
The country had been under a transitional government since a military takeover in 2012 ousted Interim President Raimundo Piera and halted a presidential run-off election that year.
President Mahama promised that he would put Mr. Vaz’s request for financial support before his colleagues for the necessary action.
He expressed happiness that with the progress Guinea Bissau has made in respect to restoring democracy, there is an opportunity to rebuild the country.
He said Mr. Vaz’s election presented a fine opportunity for him to turn things round for his nation and ECOWAS was impressed with the peaceful manner the elections were organised.
While congratulating the president-elect for his victory, he expressed the hope that the peace the country is enjoying would be sustained.
Source: GNA
