Kumba Ialá
Encyclopedia
Kumba Ialá, also spelled Yalá (born 15 March 1953), is a Guinea-Bissau
politician
who was President of Guinea-Bissau from 17 February 2000 until he was deposed in a military coup on 14 September 2003. He belongs to the Balanta ethnic group and is the President of the Social Renewal Party (PRS). In 2008 he converted to Islam and took the name Mohamed Ialá Embaló.
on 15 March 1953, Ialá became a militant member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
(PAIGC) during his teenage years. The PAIGC sought independence from Portuguese
colonial rule.
He studied theology
at the Catholic University in Lisbon, Portugal and later studied philosophy
. In Bissau, Ialá studied law. He speaks Portuguese
, Crioulo
, Spanish
, French
and English
and can read Latin
, Greek
and Hebrew
. After completing his education, he worked as a philosophy teacher.
in honor of the 70th anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, but in 1989 he was expelled from the party for demanding greater democratic
reform.
In March 1991, alongside Rafael Barbosa, Ialá helped found the Democratic Social Front (FDS). On 14 January 1992, Ialá left the FDS and formed the Social Renewal Party (PRS).
The first multiparty presidential election took place on 3 July 1994. Incumbent president and PAIGC candidate João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira
won 46.20% of the vote. Ialá finished second, capturing 21.88% of the vote. Since no candidate won the required 50% of the vote for an outright victory, a run-off was conducted on 7 August. The opposition parties united behind Ialá, but Vieira nevertheless won by a 4% margin (52.02% to 47.98%). Although the election was declared generally free and fair by election observers, Ialá contested the results, claiming intimidation of his supporters. The Supreme Court rejected his claims and the results were validated. On 20 August, he accepted the results, but announced that the PRS would not participate in the new government.
On 28 November 1999, after a devastating civil war
and the ouster of Vieira, a new presidential election was held. In the first round, Kumba Ialá placed first with 38.81% of the vote, followed by interim president and PAIGC candidate, Malam Bacai Sanhá
, who won 23.37%. Ialá was briefly hospitalized on 29 December 1999 due to high blood pressure, shortly before campaigning for the second round was to begin. He went to Lisbon for medical treatment on 30 December, and after returning to Guinea-Bissau in early January 2000, he launched his second round campaign on January 9; he said that he was in good health and challenged Sanhá to a debate. The second round, held on 16 January 2000, was easily won by Ialá, who received 72% of the vote. He was sworn-in as President of Guinea-Bissau on 17 February.
Ialá resigned as President of the PRS in May 2000, although he continued to play an influential role in the party.
/International Monetary Fund
to suspend aid. Ialá's relationship with General Ansumane Mané
, the leader of the rebellion that had toppled Vieira in the 1998–99 civil war, was difficult. Ialá attempted to promote a number of military officers in November 2000, but Mané said that Ialá's list of promotions was not the one Ialá had previously agreed to with Mané. Mané announced that he was taking control of the armed forces, revoking Ialá's promotions and replacing the chief of staff, Veríssimo Correia Seabra
. An outbreak of fighting followed, and Mané was killed in a clash with government forces a week later, on November 30.
Ialá did not veto
or promulgate the draft constitution approved by the National Assembly in 2001, instead sending it back to parliament with recommendations for increased presidential powers. Ialá's government claimed to have foiled a coup plot in early December 2001, although the opposition questioned its existence. In June 2002, he accused The Gambia
of fomenting rebellion in Guinea-Bissau, a charge which the Gambian foreign ministry denied; Ialá even threatened an invasion of The Gambia
. He also began imprisoning domestic opposition activists that he accused of plotting against his government. Ialá dissolved parliament in November 2002, appointed Mário Pires
as caretaker prime minister, and called early elections for February 2003. These elections were repeatedly postponed, however: first to April, then to July, then to October. Some suspected that Ialá sought to manipulate the law to ensure that he would remain in power.
and PRS secretary general Artur Sanhá
was set up at the end of September.
On March 8, 2004, ahead of legislative elections
, Ialá was released from house arrest. He announced that he would be participating in the PRS election campaign, despite the prohibition against his political activity. In the election, held on March 28, the PRS won 35 out of 100 seats, making it the second largest party in the National People's Assembly, after the PAIGC.
by the party's national council, despite being officially banned from politics for five years. Ialá submitted his candidate application to the Supreme Court on April 11, arguing that since he had signed his agreement to respect his ban from politics at his home and not in his office, it was invalid. The Supreme Court cleared him to stand in the election in its list of approved candidates published on May 10, with five judges in favor of permitting his candidacy and one opposed. The decision was based on the fact that Ialá had resigned prior to the signing of the transitional charter which had barred him from politics, with the judges ruling that the charter should not be retroactively applied to Ialá in a way contrary to his interests. Soon afterwards, on May 15, Ialá said that he was withdrawing his resignation as President and would resume office to serve out the remainder of his term. Although this increased the country's political tension, the declaration did not appear to lead to much immediate consequence; a rally of some of Ialá's supporters was held two days later and was dispersed by police with tear gas.
In late May, ten days after declaring his resignation withdrawn, he occupied the presidential palace at night with a group of armed men for about four hours before leaving, according to an announcement by the army. According to official results he came in third in the June 19 election with 25% of the vote, behind Malam Bacai Sanhá and Nino Vieira, and thus could not participate in the second round run-off. Ialá said that he actually came in first, with about 38% of the vote, and that the result was a fraud. At least four people were reported killed when Ialá's supporters clashed with police after the results were announced. Ialá went to Senegal
for talks with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade
, along with Vieira and Sanhá, and on June 27 he said at a news conference that he accepted the result in the interest of peace and democracy, while still claiming to have actually won. Ialá said on this occasion that he "rejected violence on principle" and predicted that he would eventually regain the presidency, noting that his opponents were older than himself "and tomorrow they will disappear."
On July 2, Ialá announced his support for Vieira's candidacy in the second round
. He called Vieira "a symbol of the construction of the Guinean state and of national unity because he proclaimed our independence in the hills of Boe" and said that he could "be relied upon to defend our national independence, to oppose neo-colonialism, to build the republic and promote peace, stability and above all, national reconciliation". Given Ialá's sharp hostility to Vieira in previous years, this endorsement was viewed as surprising by many, and there was reportedly significant dissatisfaction with the decision among Ialá's supporters. The second round, held on July 24, resulted in Vieira's victory.
On October 27, 2006, Ialá returned to Guinea-Bissau after a year of voluntary exile in Morocco
. On November 12 he was elected as President of the PRS with about 70% of the vote at the party's third ordinary congress, defeating Alberto Nambeia, although his re-election was disputed by opponents within the PRS. He denounced the government of prime minister Aristides Gomes
as "illegitimate and illegal" and said that it should be dissolved and early parliamentary elections should be held.
In May 2007, following an appeal for the annulment of the third ordinary congress by a faction of the PRS opposed to Ialá, the Regional Court of Bissau cancelled the congress' resolutions and removed Ialá from the party leadership. On August 23, 2007, however, the Supreme Court of Guinea-Bissau reversed that decision and restored Ialá to the party leadership.
After spending more time in exile in Morocco, Ialá returned to Bissau on July 7, 2008 to register for the November 2008 parliamentary election
. On that occasion, he predicted that the PRS would win the election with a majority of seats. Soon after his return, he converted to Islam
in the city of Gabú
on July 18, 2008, taking the name Mohamed Ialá Embaló. He also learned to speak Arabic
. In the November 2008 election, PAIGC officially won a majority of seats, defeating the PRS. Ialá initially disputed the official results and alleged fraud, although he later accepted PAIGC's victory and said that the PRS would be a constructive opposition.
President Nino Vieira was killed by soldiers on March 2, 2009. In April, the PRS designated Ialá as its candidate for the June 2009 presidential election
. Some in the party who opposed Ialá's "system of monopoly" instead proposed the candidacy of Baltizar Lopes Fernandes, but they were unsuccessful.
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was President of Guinea-Bissau from 17 February 2000 until he was deposed in a military coup on 14 September 2003. He belongs to the Balanta ethnic group and is the President of the Social Renewal Party (PRS). In 2008 he converted to Islam and took the name Mohamed Ialá Embaló.
Early life
Born to a farming family in Bula, Cacheu RegionCacheu Region
Cacheu is a region in western Guinea-Bissau, on the border with Senegal. It has an area of 5,175 km2 and a population estimated in 2004 at 164,676. Its capital is Cacheu.Cacheu is divided into 6 administrative sectors:*Bigene*Bula*Cacheu*Caió...
on 15 March 1953, Ialá became a militant member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde or PAIGC is a political party that governed Guinea-Bissau from the independence of the then Portuguese Guinea in 1974, until the late 1990s, and from 2004 to 2005. Currently it is the party with the largest number of seats in the...
(PAIGC) during his teenage years. The PAIGC sought independence from Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
colonial rule.
He studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the Catholic University in Lisbon, Portugal and later studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. In Bissau, Ialá studied law. He speaks Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Crioulo
Crioulo
The Portuguese word crioulo may refer to:* In Brazil, a person of African ancestry* A creole language, especially one of the Portuguese-based creole languages...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and can read Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
. After completing his education, he worked as a philosophy teacher.
Political career
Ialá was the head of a PAIGC delegation to MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in honor of the 70th anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, but in 1989 he was expelled from the party for demanding greater democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
reform.
In March 1991, alongside Rafael Barbosa, Ialá helped found the Democratic Social Front (FDS). On 14 January 1992, Ialá left the FDS and formed the Social Renewal Party (PRS).
The first multiparty presidential election took place on 3 July 1994. Incumbent president and PAIGC candidate João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira
João Bernardo Vieira
João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira was the President of Guinea-Bissau from 1980 to 1999 and again from 2005 to 2009. After seizing power in 1980, Vieira ruled for 19 years, and he won a multiparty presidential election in 1994. He was ousted at the end of the 1998–1999 civil war and went into exile...
won 46.20% of the vote. Ialá finished second, capturing 21.88% of the vote. Since no candidate won the required 50% of the vote for an outright victory, a run-off was conducted on 7 August. The opposition parties united behind Ialá, but Vieira nevertheless won by a 4% margin (52.02% to 47.98%). Although the election was declared generally free and fair by election observers, Ialá contested the results, claiming intimidation of his supporters. The Supreme Court rejected his claims and the results were validated. On 20 August, he accepted the results, but announced that the PRS would not participate in the new government.
On 28 November 1999, after a devastating civil war
Guinea-Bissau Civil War
The Guinea-Bissau Civil War was triggered by an attempted coup d'état against the government of President João Bernardo Vieira led by Brigadier-General Ansumane Mané in June 1998...
and the ouster of Vieira, a new presidential election was held. In the first round, Kumba Ialá placed first with 38.81% of the vote, followed by interim president and PAIGC candidate, Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá is a Guinea-Bissau politician who has been President of Guinea-Bissau since 8 September 2009. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde , Sanhá was President of the National People's Assembly from 1994 to 1999 and then served as acting President...
, who won 23.37%. Ialá was briefly hospitalized on 29 December 1999 due to high blood pressure, shortly before campaigning for the second round was to begin. He went to Lisbon for medical treatment on 30 December, and after returning to Guinea-Bissau in early January 2000, he launched his second round campaign on January 9; he said that he was in good health and challenged Sanhá to a debate. The second round, held on 16 January 2000, was easily won by Ialá, who received 72% of the vote. He was sworn-in as President of Guinea-Bissau on 17 February.
Ialá resigned as President of the PRS in May 2000, although he continued to play an influential role in the party.
The Ialá Presidency
Kumba Ialá's tenure as the country's head of state was characterized by sackings of ministers and other high officials, and poor financial management that led the World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
/International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
to suspend aid. Ialá's relationship with General Ansumane Mané
Ansumane Mané
Ansumane Mané was a Guinea-Bissau soldier who led a 1998 uprising against the government of President João Bernardo Vieira, which caused a brief, but bloody Civil War....
, the leader of the rebellion that had toppled Vieira in the 1998–99 civil war, was difficult. Ialá attempted to promote a number of military officers in November 2000, but Mané said that Ialá's list of promotions was not the one Ialá had previously agreed to with Mané. Mané announced that he was taking control of the armed forces, revoking Ialá's promotions and replacing the chief of staff, Veríssimo Correia Seabra
Veríssimo Correia Seabra
Veríssimo Correia Seabra was a Guinea-Bissau general, known for leading a coup that deposed Kumba Ialá on September 14, 2003.-Biography:Correia Seabra was born in the capital city, Bissau, on February 16, 1947...
. An outbreak of fighting followed, and Mané was killed in a clash with government forces a week later, on November 30.
Ialá did not veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
or promulgate the draft constitution approved by the National Assembly in 2001, instead sending it back to parliament with recommendations for increased presidential powers. Ialá's government claimed to have foiled a coup plot in early December 2001, although the opposition questioned its existence. In June 2002, he accused The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
of fomenting rebellion in Guinea-Bissau, a charge which the Gambian foreign ministry denied; Ialá even threatened an invasion of The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
. He also began imprisoning domestic opposition activists that he accused of plotting against his government. Ialá dissolved parliament in November 2002, appointed Mário Pires
Mário Pires
Mário Pires is a Guinea-Bissau politician who was Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003. He is a member of the Social Renewal Party ....
as caretaker prime minister, and called early elections for February 2003. These elections were repeatedly postponed, however: first to April, then to July, then to October. Some suspected that Ialá sought to manipulate the law to ensure that he would remain in power.
2003 coup
On 12 September 2003, the electoral commission announced that it would not be able to finish voter registration in time to hold parliamentary elections as planned on 12 October. This together with a stagnant economy, political instability, and military discontent over unpaid salaries triggered a bloodless coup on 14 September. Ialá was detained and placed under house arrest. General Veríssimo Correia Seabra, leader of the coup, referred to the "incapacity" of Ialá's government as justification for the takeover. Ialá publicly announced his resignation on September 17, and a political agreement signed that month prohibited him from participating in politics for five years. A civilian-led transitional government led by businessman Henrique RosaHenrique Rosa
-Interim President of Guinea-Bissau:He was interim President of Guinea-Bissau from 28 September 2003 to 1 October 2005. His appointment came following a 14 September military coup that deposed the elected government of President Kumba Ialá and subsequent talks between political officials, civil...
and PRS secretary general Artur Sanhá
Artur Sanhá
António Artur Sanhá is a politician in Guinea-Bissau. He was the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 28 September 2003 to 10 May 2004 and also served as Secretary-General of the Party for Social Renewal ....
was set up at the end of September.
On March 8, 2004, ahead of legislative elections
Guinea-Bissau legislative election, 2004
A legislative election was held in Guinea-Bissau on March 28, 2004. The election had been repeatedly postponed due to political and financial chaos in the country, and due to the coup d'état which overthrew President Kumba Ialá in September 2003....
, Ialá was released from house arrest. He announced that he would be participating in the PRS election campaign, despite the prohibition against his political activity. In the election, held on March 28, the PRS won 35 out of 100 seats, making it the second largest party in the National People's Assembly, after the PAIGC.
2005 presidential election and afterwards
On March 26, 2005, he was chosen as the PRS candidate for the June 19 presidential electionGuinea-Bissau presidential election, 2005
Guinea-Bissau held a presidential election on 19 June 2005, and a second round run-off vote was held on 24 July. The election marked the end of a transition to democratic rule after the previously elected government was overthrown in a September 2003 military coup led by General Veríssimo Correia...
by the party's national council, despite being officially banned from politics for five years. Ialá submitted his candidate application to the Supreme Court on April 11, arguing that since he had signed his agreement to respect his ban from politics at his home and not in his office, it was invalid. The Supreme Court cleared him to stand in the election in its list of approved candidates published on May 10, with five judges in favor of permitting his candidacy and one opposed. The decision was based on the fact that Ialá had resigned prior to the signing of the transitional charter which had barred him from politics, with the judges ruling that the charter should not be retroactively applied to Ialá in a way contrary to his interests. Soon afterwards, on May 15, Ialá said that he was withdrawing his resignation as President and would resume office to serve out the remainder of his term. Although this increased the country's political tension, the declaration did not appear to lead to much immediate consequence; a rally of some of Ialá's supporters was held two days later and was dispersed by police with tear gas.
In late May, ten days after declaring his resignation withdrawn, he occupied the presidential palace at night with a group of armed men for about four hours before leaving, according to an announcement by the army. According to official results he came in third in the June 19 election with 25% of the vote, behind Malam Bacai Sanhá and Nino Vieira, and thus could not participate in the second round run-off. Ialá said that he actually came in first, with about 38% of the vote, and that the result was a fraud. At least four people were reported killed when Ialá's supporters clashed with police after the results were announced. Ialá went to Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
for talks with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party and has led the party since it was founded in 1974...
, along with Vieira and Sanhá, and on June 27 he said at a news conference that he accepted the result in the interest of peace and democracy, while still claiming to have actually won. Ialá said on this occasion that he "rejected violence on principle" and predicted that he would eventually regain the presidency, noting that his opponents were older than himself "and tomorrow they will disappear."
On July 2, Ialá announced his support for Vieira's candidacy in the second round
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
. He called Vieira "a symbol of the construction of the Guinean state and of national unity because he proclaimed our independence in the hills of Boe" and said that he could "be relied upon to defend our national independence, to oppose neo-colonialism, to build the republic and promote peace, stability and above all, national reconciliation". Given Ialá's sharp hostility to Vieira in previous years, this endorsement was viewed as surprising by many, and there was reportedly significant dissatisfaction with the decision among Ialá's supporters. The second round, held on July 24, resulted in Vieira's victory.
On October 27, 2006, Ialá returned to Guinea-Bissau after a year of voluntary exile in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. On November 12 he was elected as President of the PRS with about 70% of the vote at the party's third ordinary congress, defeating Alberto Nambeia, although his re-election was disputed by opponents within the PRS. He denounced the government of prime minister Aristides Gomes
Aristides Gomes
Aristides Gomes is the President of the Republican Party of Independence for Development in Guinea-Bissau. He was the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 2 November 2005 until 13 April 2007....
as "illegitimate and illegal" and said that it should be dissolved and early parliamentary elections should be held.
In May 2007, following an appeal for the annulment of the third ordinary congress by a faction of the PRS opposed to Ialá, the Regional Court of Bissau cancelled the congress' resolutions and removed Ialá from the party leadership. On August 23, 2007, however, the Supreme Court of Guinea-Bissau reversed that decision and restored Ialá to the party leadership.
After spending more time in exile in Morocco, Ialá returned to Bissau on July 7, 2008 to register for the November 2008 parliamentary election
Guinea-Bissau legislative election, 2008
A parliamentary election was held on 16 November 2008 in Guinea-Bissau. The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde won a majority of 67 out of 100 seats, while the Party for Social Renewal won 28 seats.-Chronology:...
. On that occasion, he predicted that the PRS would win the election with a majority of seats. Soon after his return, he converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the city of Gabú
Gabú
Gabú is the largest town in eastern Guinea-Bissau and capital of the Gabú Region. Population 14,336 .The town is known for its Fula population and dominant Muslim religion. It was originally the centre of the Kaabu empire until the Fouta Djallon came to dominate it in the nineteenth century. Gabú...
on July 18, 2008, taking the name Mohamed Ialá Embaló. He also learned to speak Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. In the November 2008 election, PAIGC officially won a majority of seats, defeating the PRS. Ialá initially disputed the official results and alleged fraud, although he later accepted PAIGC's victory and said that the PRS would be a constructive opposition.
President Nino Vieira was killed by soldiers on March 2, 2009. In April, the PRS designated Ialá as its candidate for the June 2009 presidential election
Guinea-Bissau presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Guinea-Bissau on 28 June 2009 following the assassination of President João Bernardo Vieira on 2 March 2009...
. Some in the party who opposed Ialá's "system of monopoly" instead proposed the candidacy of Baltizar Lopes Fernandes, but they were unsuccessful.