Guinea-Bissau election goes to run-off

Bissau, Guinea Bissau  - Guinea-Bissau's election to replace assassinated president Joao Bernardo Vieira will go to a run-off between the two pre-election favourites, the West African nation's electoral commission said Thursday.

Observers hope that the election, dubbed a "narco-state" for its role as a hub for drugs trafficked from South America to Europe, will bring stability to a country blighted by instability since independence from Portugal in 1974.

The ruling party's Malam Bacai Sanha headed up the 11 candidates with 39.6 per cent of the vote, followed by opposition candidate Kumba Yala with 29.4 per cent.

The two men will go head-to-head in late July or early August, the commission said.

The vote passed off peacefully, even though political analysts say a sense of insecurity and anxiety persists almost four months after the death of Vieira.

Vieira was killed by soldiers in an apparent revenge attack for the murder of the army chief.

The European Union's observer mission said the vote was fair, although turnout was low, reflecting voter concern over possible trouble.

The run-up to the election was marred by political violence. Presidential candidate Baciro Dabo, a close ally of Vieira, and other political figures were murdered by government security forces in early June. They were accused of planning a coup.

The election is also seen as important for the reputation of the region, where both Guinea and Mauritania have suffered coups and Niger's president is attempting to override the constitution and stay in power.

The United Nations ranks Guinea-Bissau as one of the most impoverished nations in the world, with a life expectancy of just 45 years. One in five children die before their fifth birthday.

No president in Guinea-Bissau has completed a five-year term since the early 1990s. (dpa)