The
47-year-old beat rival Domingos Simoes Pereira by about 54% to 46%, the
electoral commission announced.
Mr
Pereira vowed to contest the result, alleging “electoral fraud”.
Mr
Embalo has said he wants to resolve political tensions in the West African
country, which has seen nine coups or attempted coups since 1974.
Incumbent
President Jose Mario Vaz crashed out of the election in the first round in
November.
He
was the first head of state to carry out his term without being either deposed
or assassinated, but his tenure was marred by issues including political
infighting and widespread allegations of corruption.
fraud,
but West African regional bloc Ecowas rejected the claims and warned that a
military force was on standby to “re-establish order” in the event of a coup.
Election
observers have also said they found no evidence of vote tampering in Sunday’s
run-off, but Mr Pereira - leader of the country’s historic ruling party PAIGC -
said the results were “full of irregularities, annulment and manipulation” as
he vowed to mount a challenge in the Supreme Court.the result
Opposition
candidate and former army chief Mr Embalo, nicknamed “The General”, served as
prime minister between 2016 and 2018.
He
sought to overcome his rival’s lead in the first round by pledging to unify the
country and gaining the backing of eliminated candidates, including Mr Vaz.
Mr
Embalo has also vowed to modernise Guinea-Bissau - one of the world’s poorest
nations, which is home to some 1.6 million people.
His
supporters celebrated his victory in the capital Bissau on Wednesday, dancing
and beating pots and pans, AFP news agency reports.
As
president, he will face major challenges including poverty and drug
trafficking, as well as the unstable political system that led to an impasse
under Mr Vaz’s presidency in which parliament can appoint the prime minister,
but this appointee can be fired by the president.
Source:
BBC
