African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde

The Partido Africano da Independencia da Guiné e Cabo Verde ( PAIGC, Portuguese for " African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde " or "African Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde " ) is a political party in Guinea- Bissau.

1956-1990

The 19 September 1956 by Aristides Pereira, his brother Luís de Almeida Cabral, Amilcar Cabral and PAIGC, founded Furthermore, was originally a Marxist-inspired movement for independence. She led from 1963 to 1974 a guerrilla war against the Portuguese colonial power.

After the assassination of Amilcar Cabral in January 1973, the PAIGC called on 24 September 1973, the Republic of Guinea- Bissau. The first unilateral declaration of independence of the former Portuguese Guinea was recognized in the following year in 1974 after the " Carnation Revolution " by Portugal. Cape Verde became independent in 1975.

After the independence of both countries, the PAIGC ruled in both countries as a single party. A coup in Guinea- Bissau on 14 November 1980, in 1981 to separate the previously common party. For the Partido Africano Cape Verde da Independencia de Cabo Verde ( PAICV ) and was no longer aimed at the unification of the two countries.

Since 1991

Even after the introduction of democracy in both countries in the early 1990s, the parties were initially able to say in the government. In Guinea -Bissau, the PAIGC lost by the fall of President João Bernardo Vieira in May 1999, the power, but under Carlos Gomes Júnior won the parliamentary elections in March 2004 and presented since the prime minister. The PAIGC candidate Malam Bacai Sanhá lost in July 2005, the runoff election for the presidency against the Ex - President Vieira, who ran as an independent candidate and held office again since 1 October 2005. After the dismissal of the previous government Vieira appointed on 2 November 2005 the former first vice president of the PAIGC Aristides Gomes as the new prime minister. Gomes was in October one of 14 MPs who have left the Group of the PAIGC, which previously consisted of 45 deputies.

In Cape Verde the PAICV lost the presidential elections in 1991, but provides for the narrow victory of their candidate Pedro Pires since March 2001 again the president. In parliament, the party also lost its majority in 1991 and has been making its victory in January 2001 with José Maria Neves again the head of government.

From its original Marxist orientation, PAIGC and PAICV have removed since 1990 and are now seen as social democratic parties.