The legislative election slated for 10 March 2019 in Guinea-Bissau is a promising step towards political stability. But institutional reforms are needed to achieve long-term stability. To this end, dialogue is required to define priorities and create favourable conditions for reform. At the same time, Guinea-Bissau needs the backing of regional and international partners, who should frame their support in terms of a long-term vision. This report is based on field research in Bissau and telephone interviews conducted between November 2016 and January 2019. It is organised in five parts, discussing the origins of the crisis, the way partisan tensions have weakened state institutions, the difficulties
experienced in recovering from the crisis, the fragile electoral process, and the importance of institutional reforms to Guinea-Bissau’s long-term stability.
