Junta 'not holding on to power' - Guinea-Bissau

[dArKeR]

The military junta in Guinea-Bissau called a meeting for Monday a day after president Kumba Yala was ousted in a bloodless coup to set up a national transition council, a first step towards forming a civilian-led interim government.

The new military leaders in the tiny, impoverished west African country also announced that Yala, who had been held at armed forces headquarters in the capital Bissau since Sunday's coup, had been allowed to return to his home, where he had been placed under house arrest.

'One per party'

In a statement broadcast on radio, the junta called representatives of "all political parties (one per party), civil society, the judiciary, traditional and religious leaders" to gather at 10:00 on Monday (10:00 GMT) for a meeting to set up a transition council.

The council would have a consultative role in setting up a transition government which would be led by a civilian, according to the statement by the junta, led by armed forces chief, General Verissimo Seabra Correia.

The military coup-makers had said on Sunday that they did not intend to remain in power in the former Portuguese colony, but would quickly restore constitutional authority with a view to organising long-delayed elections.


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