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Guinea-Bissau military leaders, political parties announce transitional council
(CNN) — Military leaders and a group of political parties in Guinea-Bissau have announced the formation of a Transitional National Council after a recent coup plunged the African country into deeper chaos.
The announcement came after a group of 22 mostly opposition political parties met with the military command on Sunday. The composition of the transitional council will be determined following another meeting Monday, TNC spokesman Fernando Vaz said.
The president of the council will be the interim president of the country until parliamentary and presidential elections are held, Vaz said.
The formation of the TNC effectively means that the Constitution will be suspended — a scenario similar to events in 2003, after a coup against then-President Kumba Iala.
And pending approval by the group on Monday, the council “will dissolve all institutions, including the national parliament,” the spokesman said.
Also on Monday, members of the TNC’s “diplomatic commission” will meet a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc — the first meeting between the junta and an international group.
In a statement released Monday, ECOWAS stressed its “zero tolerance for power obtained by unconstitutional means.”
“The delegation will reaffirm ECOWAS’ rejection of the coup, which has been widely condemned by the international community … and impress on the junta to restore constitutional rule immediately,” the group said.
Guinea-Bissau is a member state of ECOWAS.
Pictured: Residents walk past parliament in Bissau last month. Military forces are in the streets of the capital Friday
