Government closes private radio

Guinea-Bissau's most influential private radio station was closed by the government on Thursday. Radio Bombolom, which the Bissau-Guinean government believes is sympathetic to the opposition, had been directed to stop broadcasting two weeks ago. The closure, described as permanent, was ordered even though international and national rights groups had appealed to the government of President Kumba Yala to allow the station to continue broadcasting, the Portuguese news agency, Lusa reported on Friday. In a related development, opposition parties issued a statement on Thursday calling for international election observers to monitor the updating of the country's electoral registers ahead of elections on 20 April. The four parties said that there was not enough time to create the minimum conditions needed to go ahead with the vote, and the polls should therefore be postponed. Lusa quoted opposition sources as saying that "the only way to guarantee arbitrary acts are not created is for international electoral observers to be on the ground before, during and after the elections." The opposition added that constitutional legality had to be reestablished before the polls were held. This included the election of high court judges and the promulgation of an amended constitution approved by parliament in 2001. Guinea-Bissau has been in the throes of a political and economic crisis for months now. Yala's government has responded to growing criticism by arresting those who speak out against its policies. The April elections were called after Yala dissolved parliament, accusing its members of sabotage.