Former Prime Minister Umaro Cissoko Embalo had been hailed as the winner of last month's runoff vote. — Reut

BISSAU, Jan 22 — Guinea-Bissau’s national electoral commission confirmed former Prime Minister Umaro Cissoko Embalo as winner of the presidential ballot today, after the Supreme Court threw the result into doubt last week.

On Friday the court had called for a clarification of the tally hours after the electoral commission released the final results that showed Embalo’s victory with 54% of votes cast versus Domingos Simoes Pereira’s 46%.

"The Supreme Court ruling has been scrupulously followed,” the commission said in a statement released on Wednesday. "All that remains to do is follow the swearing-in procedure.”

Former Prime Minister and former army General Embalo had been hailed as the winner of last month’s runoff vote. But runner-up and ruling party candidate Pereira had contested the results saying the election was marred by fraud.

There was no immediate reaction on Wednesday from both politicians to the commission’s announcement. — Reuters