Woman chosen as new head of supreme court

Maria do Ceu Silva Monteiro, a 38-year-old woman judge, has been appointed president of the supreme court of Guinea-Bissau, filling a post that had been vacant for more than two years. She was elected on Monday on a six to one vote by other senior judges in this former Portuguese colony of 1.3 million people on the coast of West Africa. Silva Monteiro's predecessor, Emiliano Nosoloni, was sacked by former president Kumba Yala in November 2001, but was never replaced. Kumba Yala's chaotic rule was brought to an end by a bloodless coup in September last year. The appointment of a new head of the supreme court marks another milestone in Guinea-Bissau's gradual return to constitutional rule and is likely to please donors who are having to keep the country's virtually bankrupt transitional government afloat in the meantime. The supreme court will be charged with validating the results of parliamentary elections scheduled for March 28 and presidential elections to be held a year later. Nosolini boycotted the election of a new head of the supreme court, arguing that he should have been simply restored to the post. Nosolini argued that he was elected head of the supreme court in early 2001, but had served only nine months of his four-year term when he was sacked by Kumba Yala.