A group of political parties in Guinea-Bissau have rejected a proposal by the military responsible for this week's coup to form a transitional government until presidential elections later this month.
The parties met with the military Saturday and more talks are expected Sunday. The political parties favor a solution to Guinea Bissau's political upheaval based on its constitution.
The military takeover Thursday disrupted a presidential campaign and threw the west African nation into renewed turmoil.
The military command took presidential frontrunner and former prime minister Carlos Gomes Jr. and interim president Raimundo Pereira into custody after raiding their homes.
Gomes's party, the ruling African Party for Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), did not attend Saturday's meeting, but issued a statement demanding Gomes be released and condemning the military coup.
The international community has also strongly condemned the military takeover of power in the west African nation of Guinea-Bissau two weeks before a presidential runoff election which was scheduled for April 29.
In Washington Saturday, State Department spokesman Mark Toner issued a statement denouncing "the attempt by certain elements of the military to forcibly seize power and undermine the legitimate civilian leadership of Guinea-Bissau." The statement urges all parties to put down their weapons and restore the legitimate government.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N. Security Council issued a similar statement Friday.
The coup leaders said they overthrew the civilian government because of an alleged secret agreement between Guinea-Bissau and Angola, authorizing authorities in Luanda to take action against Guinea-Bissau's military forces. There was no explanation or confirmation of the supposed agreement with Angola.
The streets of the capital, Bissau, were quiet and soldiers guarded public buildings on Saturday.
Delegates from Portuguese-speaking countries have been gathering in Lisbon to discuss what to do about the upheaval in Guinea-Bissau.
Since winning independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has struggled through a dictatorship, three coups and the assassination of President Joao Bernardo Vieira by renegade soldiers in 2009. The country also is known as a conduit for traffickers shipping drugs to Europe.
Guinea-Bissau's opposition, led by unsuccessful presidential challenger Kumba Yala, had called for a boycott of the April 29 presidential runoff and all campaigning. Yala was one of five candidates who claimed the first-round vote was rigged. All were vying to replace the late president Malam Bacai Sanha, who died in January.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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