The ruling party's candidate in the Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Malam Bacaï Sanha, won a landslide victory in the second round of balloting on July 26. He secured more than 63 percent of the votes, while his closest rival, Kumba Yalla, could only manage 36 percent.

Kumba immediately acknowledged defeat in an election, which was held six months after the assassination of the former head of state, João Bernardo Vieira, which itself followed shortly after the killing of Vieira's military chief of staff.

The election took place without major incident, according to about 150 international observers. It is hoped it will bring some stability to this troubled country, rendered weak and fragile by continuous violence and drug trafficking from South American countries.

In a brief ceremony, the president of the electoral commission, Desejado Lima da Costa, gave out the provisional results and said if they were not contested within 48 hours they will be declared official.

The new president elect will face enormous challennges. This West African country is considered one of the poorest in the world, so he will have to formulate programmes geared towards poverty alleviation and combating drug trafficking and growing insecurity. Moreover, he will also be faced with the task of building a good military and democratizing the country.

In this light, the international community is called upon to support Guinea-Bissau, which has brought some respect to African democracy. Technical and financial assistance to help sustain lasting socio-economic development will be required.

Translated from the French by Michael Tantoh.