PRETORIA, December 1. /TASS/. The military, which seized power in Guinea-Bissau in a coup, has banned protests and strikes from December 1 ahead of the arrival of a delegation of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) for negotiations, PanaPress agency reported quoting the order of the military.

Demonstrations and strikes threaten peace and stability, the military authorities were cited as saying. The government demanded that ministries and government agencies resume their work. Last Saturday several hundred young people rallied in the capital of Bissau demanding the release of the arrested opposition leaders.

The ECOWAS delegation, which includes the presidents of Cape Verde, Senegal and Togo, is due to arrive on Monday. The trip was originally scheduled for November 28, but it did not take place for an unknown reason. The delegation was given authority during an ECOWAS summit to negotiate with the military leadership of Guinea-Bissau on ways and a time schedule for the restoration of a civilian form of government in the country.

The opposition said it sees the ECOWAS delegation as its ally. According to RFI radio station, one of the opposition leaders and candidate for the November 23 presidential election Fernando Dias da Costa said that he places all his hopes on ECOWAS to complete the vote count and announce the winner.

On November 26, the military seized power, removed and arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, suspended all state institutions, and ordered the counting of votes in the presidential and parliamentary elections to be stopped. 24 hours later, one of the leaders of the coup, Major General Horta Inta-a, assumed the post of president for a transitional period, which he said would last one year.