The US State Department called on the government of Equatorial Guinea on Thursday to honor its international commitments and constitutional principles by supporting a free and fair vote as the country's election campaign season officially began
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd November, 2022) The US State Department called on the government of Equatorial Guinea on Thursday to honor its international commitments and constitutional principles by supporting a free and fair vote as the country's election campaign season officially began.
"The United States has been concerned by reports of arrests and harassment of opposition members and civil society, and we urge the government to allow its citizens to freely and confidently express their preferences at the ballot box," State Department Spokesperson Ned price said in a release.
The government of Equatorial Guinea frequently detains the few opposition politicians. The current president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, is Africa's longest-serving head of state, holding power since 1979. In the last legislative elections, his ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea and its allied parties won 99 of 100 seats in the lower house, all 55 of the elected seats in the Senate, and control of all municipal councils.
Equatorial Guinea's presidential and legislative elections will be held on November 20.
