Guinea-Bissau votes to elect new president, parliament

Bissau, Voters in Guinea Bissau cast their ballots Sunday to pick a new president, hoping to turn the page on endemic political turmoil despite the ma...

Bissau, Voters in Guinea-Bissau cast their ballots Sunday to pick a new president, hoping to turn the page on endemic political turmoil despite the main opposition party being barred from the race.

Around 860,000 voters will choose between 12 presidential candidates, with stability a major issue given the multiple political crises that have rocked the west African nation since independence from Portugal in 1974, including four coups and numerous attempted coups.

At the top of the list of demands for many is improved living conditions, including better health care, education and infrastructure.

Guinea-Bissau's population of some 2.2 million is also calling for more jobs and reforms to combat poverty, corruption and drug trafficking.

With nearly 40 percent of the population living in extreme poverty, Guinea-Bissau is among the world's poorest countries.