Guinean Democratic Movement Explained

The Guinean Democratic Movement (Portuguese: Movimento Democrático Guineense) is a political party in Guinea-Bissau.

History

The party was established on 14 February 2003 and was led by Silvestre Alves.[1] In the 2004 parliamentary elections it received 0.98% of the vote, failing to win a seat in the National People's Assembly. The 2008 elections saw the party's vote share fall to just 0.14%, again failing to win a seat.[2]

Alves openly condemned the increasingly repressive actions of the Military Command following the 2012 military coup, and in October 2012 was arrested and severely beaten, requiring intensive care in hospital.[3] The party's application to contest the 2014 general elections was rejected by the Supreme Court.[4]

The alliance contested the 2023 legislative election as part of a PAIGC-led coalition, the Inclusive Alliance Platform – Terra Ranka, that won 54 out of the 102 available seats.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Bogdan Szajkowski (2005) Political Parties of the World, p272
  2. Peter Karibe Mendy (2013) Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Scarecrow Press, p278
  3. Mendy, p279
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20140421082324/http://www.anacao.cv/online/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4420:guine-bissau-supremo-chumba-oito-candidaturas-presidenciais-e-sete-partidos&catid=87:destaque&Itemid=475 GUINÉ-BISSAU: SUPREMO “CHUMBA” OITO CANDIDATURAS PRESIDENCIAIS E SETE PARTIDOS
  5. News: PAI–Terra Ranke é a grande vencedora das legislativas, com cinquenta e quatro deputados. O Democrata. 8 June 2023.