Guinea’s junta leader Mamady Doumbouya is the favourite in a presidential election boycotted by the opposition and criticised by the UN for intimidation
CONAKRY: Guineans voted in a presidential election with junta leader Mamady Doumbouya as the clear favourite.
The main opposition leaders were barred from standing in the vote, which the opposition called a boycott.
Doumbouya, a general who seized power in 2021, reneged on a pledge not to stand for office and to hand back to civilian rule by the end of 2024.
Since the coup, he has cracked down on civil liberties, banned protests, and arrested opponents.
Some 6.8 million people were eligible to choose between nine approved candidates, with Doumbouya running as an independent.
The junta chief voted in the capital Conakry, escorted by dozens of special forces personnel.
A large security presence, including armoured vehicles, patrolled the capital’s streets.
Security forces said they “neutralised” members of an armed group with “subversive intentions” on Saturday in the Conakry suburbs.
Doumbouya looked set to win in the first round against eight relatively unknown rivals.
Provisional results are expected within two days, with the electoral authority putting overall voter participation at a provisional 85%.
Foreign observers reported turnout was down in towns such as Labe, Kankan and N’Zerekore.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the campaign was “marked by intimidation of opposition actors”.
Opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo condemned the vote as “an electoral charade” aimed at legitimising “the planned confiscation of power”.
He is one of three opposition leaders barred from standing by a new constitution.
The constitution also allowed junta members to stand and lengthened presidential terms from five to seven years.
In a social media video, Doumbouya touted his infrastructure achievements and promised to fight corruption.
He highlighted the start of operations at Simandou, one of the world’s biggest iron ore mines.
