Guinea-Bissau's presidential and legislative elections, originally scheduled for 6 December, will have to be postponed due to a lack of conditions necessary to hold the vote. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Ilídio Vieira Té, who did not offer a new date for the polls.

The decision follows the political crisis that erupted in November last year, when the military ousted the civilian government, interrupting the electoral process before the results of that month's presidential election could be announced.

In August, voters approved a new Constitution that extended presidential powers. Despite that change, a number of issues relating to election preparations and the selection of candidates by political parties remain unresolved.

According to Ilídio Vieira Té, political parties have yet to hold their congresses to elect their leaders. In addition, prospective candidates missed the 6 October deadline to submit their nominations to Guinea-Bissau's Supreme Court.

Faced with these obstacles, the prime minister reiterated that the conditions required to proceed with voting on the planned date are not in place. "There are no conditions for holding the elections scheduled for 6 December," he said, without indicating when the vote might take place.

The transitional government has also recently barred former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló from returning to the country, citing national security grounds. The former head of state had planned to return in order to contest the presidential election.

The political situation has been further marked by allegations of opposition repression. Civil society activists have accused the current transitional government of using fear to silence political dissent, citing as an example the still-unexplained killing of Vigário Luís Balanta, a popular rapper and founder of a political movement.

The government has denied any involvement in the killing of Vigário Luís Balanta and says it is investigating the case to identify those responsible. The political crisis persists, with no new date yet set for the elections.