Eduardo González
The political platform that encompasses the Equatoguinean opposition in Madrid has asked “all citizens of Equatorial Guinea” not to participate “in any way” in the presidential, legislative and municipal elections this Sunday and has called on the international community not to recognize the results of this “fraudulent and undemocratic” process and to put pressure on the Obiang regime to achieve “a peaceful transition to a democratic republican state under the rule of law”.
The elections of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema “have never been free or democratic, but of systematic massive electoral fraud, with the eternal scandalously overwhelming result in favor of the PDGE (always above 93%)”, says the joint communiqué signed last Thursday in Madrid and Malabo by the members of the Political Pact of Madrid 2022 -Guillermo Nguema (FDR), Fameyong Salet (PFD), Armengol Engonga (PP), Mateo A. Meseguer (MLGEIIIR), Carlos Abaga (ANRD), Weja Chicampo (MAIB), Aquilino Nguema (UDDS), Filiberto Ntutumu (CORED), Juan M. Davies (Equatorial Guinea Is Also Ours) and Nsang C. Esimi (Somos+).
“When it has organized them, they have actually served as a weapon to consolidate the oppression of the population and to rearrange his political clientelism in the country, and on this occasion, old and tired, they will also serve especially to strengthen the power in the country of his son (Teodorin) Nguema Obiang”, it continues.
“Any normal and legal election should obey certain legal norms that guarantee political rights”, but “such conditions do not exist in Equatorial Guinea, where Obiang’s government has imposed a de facto single party, proscribing or not legalizing critical political options and profusely and systematically violating human rights and all laws, including electoral laws, with the entire electoral administration in the hands of the PDGE and keeping the people in fear”, the signatories denounce.
“At the beginning of this year, the political opposition presented to Obiang its willingness to dialogue and set conditions for this year’s general elections to operate in a minimally acceptable context (amnesty for political prisoners and exiles; a negotiation table between the Government and the political and social forces of the country, an independent national electoral board and a biometric electoral roll)”, the opposition assures.
“As a palpable sign of his disposition, Obiang has not only failed to comply with this proposal, but has unleashed a harsh wave of repression against political and social activists in the country, with arbitrary arrests, killings of opposition militants, including the military attack on the residence of the leader of the opposition political party CI, imprisoning him with several of his followers and publicly humiliating him. Thus, the number of political prisoners has increased by 1000% this year in Equatorial Guinea”, the communiqué denounces.
On the other hand, the signatories assure that both the present electoral convocation and Obiang Nguema’s candidacy for President of the Republic are “illegitimate and illegal” because they do not comply with the deadlines established by the Fundamental Law of Equatorial Guinea (LFGE) and by the law on presidential elections, which also establish that “the election of the President of the Republic cannot coincide with another election”, and because the president fails to comply with the fundamental requirements to be a candidate, since, according to the law, he cannot run for a new third consecutive term (counting from the approval of the 2012 Constitution, since he has been in power since 1978) and, in addition, in his capacity as captain general of the Armed Forces, he is not only “totally ineligible” but also cannot “affiliate with any political party”.
“Given this scenario, we urge all citizens of Equatorial Guinea, not to participate in any way in any phase of the current electoral process, especially in the vote of November 20, and if by force majeure some have to do so, vote null (crossing out on the ballot or putting two different ballots in the voting envelope),” the communiqué continues.
“Likewise, we urge the pro-democracy actors and, especially the international community, that the results of these presidential, legislative and municipal elections of November 20, 2022 not be recognized, as a result of a flawed and null process of law, fraudulent and undemocratic by definition, but to invite the Obiang regime to immediately engage in dialogue with all political and social forces of the country for a peaceful transition to a democratic republican state under the rule of law in Equatorial Guinea and to take measures to bring the country out of its state of acute, multiple and chronic political, economic and socio-cultural crisis”, it adds.
