The former Minister of Economy and Finance of Guinea-Bissau Geraldo João Martins is the name proposed by the coalition Plataforma Aliança Inclusiva (PAI) Terra Ranka, winner of the latest legislative elections in the country, to lead the next Government, an official source announced.
According to the resolutions of the meeting of the political bureau of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which leads the coalition, published on Sunday August 6, Martins’ name was chosen unanimously by members of that body in Bissau.
“The PAIGC president presented the proposal of comrade Geraldo João Martins as the candidate of the PAI Terra Ranka coalition for the post of Prime Minister, under the terms of Article 42, Point 3, of the PAIGC, a proposal that was voted unanimously by the 86 members of the political bureau,” reads the final resolutions.
The leader of the coalition, Domingos Simões Pereira, also president of the PAIGC, is to present the proposal of the name Geraldo Martins to the Guinean Head of State, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, this Monday.
If the President agrees with the proposal, he will appoint Martins Prime Minister and the latter, in turn, will present the list of future members of the Government to the Head of State, a process that the PAIGC expects to be concluded during the week.
Politicians from the PAIGC leader’s close circle of friends, Geraldo Martins and Simões Pereira have a career that both claim dates back to their student days in Bissau and later in the former Soviet Union.
Geraldo Martins graduated first in physical chemistry in Moldova, later, in law from the Faculty of Law of Bissau and also completed a Master’s degree in Management and Public Policy at a university in London.
A former militant of the Democratic Convergence Party (PCD), Geraldo Martins joined the PAIGC in 2018 and is currently a member of parliament, elected in the legislative elections held on June 4.