Joint opposition front

Guinea-Bissau's main opposition parties agreed over the weekend to form an alliance against the party of President Kumba Yala in upcoming legislative elections. According to Portuguese news agency, Lusa, the parties include the country's three biggest opposition groups. They held a rally on Saturday during which they promised joint action, including street demonstrations, to challenge the ruling Social Renovation Party. The parties also denounced a series of actions, including the dissolution of parliament in late 2002, which they said indicated that the elections would not be fair and transparent. According to Lusa, the Union for Change, the Guinea-Bissau Resistance Party and the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde said that Yala was mounting an "institutional coup d'etat through his recent dissolution of parliament, control of judicial powers, arbitrary arrests and harassment of news media." Last week, a private radio station was shut down and five opposition leaders were arrested. The elections are slated for 20 April.