President-elect promises to fight corruption

President-elect Kumba Yala, 47, has promised that fighting corruption and improving human rights will be the hallmark of his administration. In his first public statement since his victory at presidential polls held on 16 January, Yala told diplomats and politicians: “I will work to build a just society which is the foundation for good governance and democracy,” Reuters reported. A humanitarian source in the capital, Bissau, told IRIN that a high level of government corruption was one reason for the strong public backing enjoyed by the military junta that overthrew President Joao Bernardo Vieira in May 1999. Another was Vieira’s poor human rights record. The country now faces severe economic and social problems. One of these is the need to improve the welfare of the veterans of Guinea-Bissau’s war of independence. Another is to meet the demands of soldiers who demonstrated in the streets in December, protesting salary arrears and demanding that the military have a role in running the country.