Guinea votes in first polls since 2021 coup, military leader likely to win

Mamady Doumbouya whitethorn triumph amid accusations of restrictions connected the media and the absorption parties.

Guinea is holding a presidential election successful which incumbent subject person General Mamady Doumbouya, who took powerfulness successful a 2021 coup, is wide anticipated to unafraid victory.

Some 6.7 cardinal registered voters volition spell to the polls, which opened astatine 07:00 GMT connected Sunday and volition adjacent astatine 18:00 GMT.

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The erstwhile peculiar forces commander, aged 41, faces 8 different candidates successful the election, arsenic ousted President Alpha Conde and longtime absorption person Cellou Dalein Diallo stay successful exile.

The absorption has called for a boycott of the ballot successful the mineral-rich state wherever 52 percent of the colonisation lives successful poverty, according to World Bank figures.

While agelong blighted by coups, Guinea experienced a antiauthoritarian modulation with the November 2010 predetermination of Alpha Conde, the country’s archetypal freely elected president. Doumbouya overthrew him successful September 2021.

Officials acceptable up a ballot container astatine a polling presumption successful Conakry [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Under Doumbouya, Guinea efficaciously “reverted to what it has fundamentally known since independency successful 1958: authoritarian regimes, whether civilian oregon military”, Gilles Yabi, laminitis of the West African deliberation vessel Wathi, told the AFP quality agency.

Provisional results could beryllium announced wrong 2 days, according to Djenabou Toure, caput of the General Directorate of Elections.

Restrictions connected opposition

Political statement has been muted nether Doumbouya. Civil nine groups impeach his authorities of banning protests, curbing property state and restricting absorption activity.

The run play “has been severely restricted, marked by intimidation of absorption actors, seemingly politically motivated enforced disappearances, and constraints connected media freedom”, United Nations rights main Volker Turk said connected Friday.

These conditions “risk undermining the credibility of the electoral process”, helium added.

Opposition person Diallo has condemned the ballot arsenic “an electoral charade” aimed astatine giving legitimacy to “the planned confiscation of power”.

In September, Guinea approved a caller constitution successful a referendum, which the absorption called connected voters to boycott.

The caller papers allowed subject leaders to basal for election, paving the mode for Doumbouya’s candidacy.

It besides lengthened statesmanlike presumption from 5 to 7 years, renewable once.

‘Hope things volition beryllium sorted’

Guinea holds the world’s largest bauxite reserves and the richest untapped robust ore deposit astatine Simandou, officially launched past period aft years of delay.

Doumbouya has claimed recognition for pushing the task guardant and ensuring Guinea benefits from its output. His authorities this twelvemonth besides revoked EGA subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation’s licence aft a refinery dispute, transferring its assets to a state-owned firm.

The crook towards assets nationalism – echoed successful Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – has boosted his popularity, arsenic has his younker successful a state wherever the median property is astir 19.

“For america young people, Doumbouya represents the accidental to nonstop the aged governmental people into retirement,” Mohamed Kaba, a mechanic successful Conakry, told the Reuters quality agency.

“There is simply a batch of corruption close now, but I anticipation these things volition beryllium sorted out.”