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| Guinea-Bissau electing new leader | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Polls have closed in Guinea-Bissau where a new leader is being elected four months after soldiers killed President Joao Bernardo Vieira. | |
| Eleven candidates were contesting the election in the impoverished West African nation. | |
| Front-runners were Malam Bacai Sanha of the ruling party, and former presidents Henrique Rosa and Kumba Yala. | |
| President Vieira was killed in March in apparent revenge for the death of the head of the army in a bomb blast. | President Vieira was killed in March in apparent revenge for the death of the head of the army in a bomb blast. |
| He had ruled Guinea Bissau for a total of 23 years, from 1980-1999 and from 2005-2009. | He had ruled Guinea Bissau for a total of 23 years, from 1980-1999 and from 2005-2009. |
| Drug trade | Drug trade |
| About 600,000 of the country's 1.3 million residents are eligible to vote in the polls. A second round of polling could be held if there is no outright winner. | About 600,000 of the country's 1.3 million residents are eligible to vote in the polls. A second round of polling could be held if there is no outright winner. |
| Malam Bacai Sanha, who served as interim president from 1999-2000, is the ruling party candidate. | Malam Bacai Sanha, who served as interim president from 1999-2000, is the ruling party candidate. |
| He faces his biggest challenges from opposition leader and former President Kumba Yala, who was overthrown in a 2003 coup, and from Henrique Rosa, who served as interim president from 2003-2005. | He faces his biggest challenges from opposition leader and former President Kumba Yala, who was overthrown in a 2003 coup, and from Henrique Rosa, who served as interim president from 2003-2005. |
| All three leading candidates have promised to bring peace and stability to the nation. | All three leading candidates have promised to bring peace and stability to the nation. |
| They have also promised to tackle the drug trade in Guinea-Bissau, which has become a transit point for gangs shipping cocaine from South America to Europe. | They have also promised to tackle the drug trade in Guinea-Bissau, which has become a transit point for gangs shipping cocaine from South America to Europe. |