Guinea-Bissau: Review the Framework Law on Political Parties

This policy brief analyzes the 1991 Framework Law on Political Parties in Guinea-Bissau and recommends comprehensive reforms to strengthen democratic stability. Key proposals include the creation of a Constitutional Court for party registration and dissolution, the establishment of an independent national political financing commission to curb corruption and enforce spending caps, and the introduction of a 30% gender quota for electoral lists. The document highlights a gap between existing legal provisions for public party funding and the actual lack of financial support provided by the state.

• The Framework Law on Political Parties of 9 May 1991 establishes the legal basis for party formation, requiring a minimum of 2,000 members and at least 100 activists in each region to affirm national character. It prohibits discrimination based on gender, religion, or race and mandates the democratic election of party leaders.
• While the 1991 law and the 2013 Law on the Election of the President of the Republic and the National People’s Assembly provide for public funding and reimbursement of campaign expenses, these provisions are rarely implemented. The document notes that parties and candidates have not received public funding for a long time because support is granted only 'according to availability'.
• The political landscape from 1994 to 2014 saw a high number of participating parties, peaking at 21 in 2008, yet only four parties—PAIGC, PRS, PND, and UM—maintained candidates in all constituencies. The document suggests that political instability is not due to legislative shortcomings but rather to weak institutions and poor enforcement of existing laws.
• The brief recommends creating a Constitutional Court to handle the registration of political parties, verify statutes, and serve as the sole authority for suspending or dissolving parties in cases of violence, hate speech, or political inactivity.
• To promote gender equality, the document proposes that the framework law impose a 30% quota for women on legislative and local election lists and introduce public funding incentives for parties that ensure women's representation in leadership and candidacies.
• The document suggests establishing a national political financing commission, independent of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), to regulate campaign expenses, validate accounts, and monitor contributions from foreign foundations and 'fraternal parties'.
• The brief argues for a revised public funding model where eligibility is limited to parties with a minimum percentage of national votes (e.g., 5%) or at least one parliamentary representative, with funds distributed based on both vote percentage and seats obtained.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2018). Guinea-Bissau: Review the Framework Law on Political Parties. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-3-eng.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Guinea-Bissau: Review the Framework Law on Political Parties. 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-3-eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Guinea-Bissau: Review the Framework Law on Political Parties |date=May 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-3-eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2018guineabissau, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Guinea-Bissau: Review the Framework Law on Political Parties}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-3-eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }