Guinea president Conde wins re-election
CONAKRY: Guinea’s President Alpha Conde won re-election with around 58 percent of votes cast, according to a tally yesterday of full results announced by the electoral commission. His nearest challenger, Cellou Dalein Diallo, gained around 31 percent in the election held last Sunday. Diallo earlier said he would not recognize the result and would call on his supporters to protest fraud and rigging. Several people have been killed in electionrelated clashes in a country with a history of political violence. Election observers said Sunday’s vote was valid despite some logistical problems. They are yet to comment on the counting process.
The National Electoral Commission has announced results piecemeal over the last few days and issued its final figures yesterday. It will declare its totals later and candidates then have eight days to lodge complaints before they are validated by the constitutional court.
Diallo accused the commission and the government of abuses including ballot stuffing, allowing minors to vote, changing the electoral map and intimidation but said he would not appeal to the court. “I will invite other candidates and the citizens, who are the real victims of this electoral hold-up, to organise peaceful demonstrations in accordance with the law to express our outrage,” Diallo said in a statement. Conde took power in 2010, ending two years of military rule during which security forces massacred more than 150 people in the capital. The country, which is Africa’s biggest producer of bauxite, has had two longtime authoritarian rulers. — Reuters