Unofficial results for Bissau give Yala lead

Unofficial provisional results for Sunday’s run-off presidential election in Guinea-Bissau showed opposition leader Kumba Yala of the Partido da Renovacao Social (PRS) ahead of interim President Malam Sanha by three votes to one, Lusa reported on Monday. The results, which were for the capital, Bissau, gave Yala more than 63,000 ballots to some 20,000 for Sanha, the news agency said. It said official results for the capital were expected on Monday evening at a news conference given by the country’s electoral commission. “I am confident I will beat my opponent,” Yala said during voting on Sunday which, according to Reuters, started peacefully with witnesses describing the turnout in Bissau as “massive”. Electoral chief Higino Cardoso told reporters that despite logistical problems which forced polling to continue on Monday, he was satisfied with the organisation of the runoff. He said final results would probably be known on 22 January. The first round, on 28 November 1999, was won by Yala with 38.81 percent of the votes. Sanha, candidate of the Partido Africano da Independencia da Guinea e Cabo Verde, which led Guinea-Bissau to independence from Portugal, was second with 23.37 percent.