(3 minutes read)
· The constitutional court of Guinea announced that the incumbent president Alpha Conde has been re-elected for a controversial third term with 59.5 percent of the vote
· Opposition claimed irregularities in the October 18 vote; but the court observed that the opposition did not provide any solid evidence of manipulation.
The constitutional court of Guinea announced that the incumbent president Alpha Conde has been re-elected for a controversial third term with 59.5 percent of the vote. The judge who pronounced the order noted that Conde’s support was above the absolute majority needed to win in the first round. The main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo received only 33.5 percent.
In the meanwhile, the opposition claimed irregularities in the October 18 vote. But the court observed that the opposition did not provide any solid evidence of manipulation. The election was marred by pre-election tensions, which led to clashes between the supporters of Conde and the pro- opposition party supporters, which had resulted in several deaths and arson. The trigger was Conde, aged 82, pushed through constitutional reforms enabling him to run for a third term. Importantly no appeal is allowed against the constitutional court decision that clearly gives six more years for Conde to rule the country.
There were opposition outcries against Conde’s actions to undermine democratic norms by flouting the term of office for the president. A parallel move was there in the Ivory Coast after President Alassane Ouattara was declared the winner of an election last month after running for a disputed third term.
