Gen Mamady Doumbouya Secures Presidential Seat in Guinea with Massive Victory
Gen Mamady Doumbouya, the current leader of Guinea's military junta, has secured a resounding victory in the nation's presidential elections. The preliminary results released by the election commission reveal that Doumbouya received an overwhelming 86.7% of the votes.
A Controversial Path to Power
Doumbouya's win signifies his attempt to solidify his hold on power after initially taking control through a military coup in 2021. However, this transition has not gone without criticism. Advocacy groups urging the return to civilian governance have dubbed the election a "farce". They argue that the election was compromised due to the disqualification of Doumbouya's key competitors and allegations of voting irregularities.
Results and Reactions
Abdoulaye Yero Balde, a candidate from the Democratic Front of Guinea, came a distant second with only 6.6% of the votes. He was followed by the Liberal Bloc's Faya Lansana Millimono who managed to secure a mere 2% according to preliminary results. Millimono has voiced his concerns about "systematic fraudulent practices", raising issues such as the removal of poll monitors, vote padding, and intimidation tactics. The ruling party and the government have yet to respond to these complaints.
Promises Made and Broken
Following the overthrow of 83-year-old President Alpha Condé in 2021, Gen Doumbouya vowed not to run for office and to restore power to a civilian leader. "Neither I nor any member of this transition will be a candidate for anything... As soldiers, we value our word very much," he stated at the time. However, Doumbouya went back on his word and entered the presidential race after a new constitution was enacted in September, allowing him to run.
Election Participation and Outcomes
Djenabou Toure, the nation's chief election officer who announced the preliminary results, stated that voter participation was over 80%. Nevertheless, the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution, a civil society group, contested this claim, stating that voter turnout was low. "A huge majority of Guineans chose to boycott the electoral charade," the group declared. Eight other candidates participated in the election, but the exclusion of main opposition parties RPG Arc en Ciel and UFDG meant that none had a solid political base. Preliminary results show that six of them received less than 2% of the votes, with Mohamed Nabe securing just 0.8%.
Criticism and Justification
Despite his popularity among many of Guinea's young people, Gen Doumbouya has faced criticism for suppressing opposition activities, banning protests, and curtailing press freedom ahead of the elections. Ironically, Doumbouya justified his overthrow of Condé on similar grounds - including unchecked corruption, disregard for human rights, and economic mismanagement.
Guinea's Economic Landscape
Guinea is home to the world's largest bauxite reserves and some of the richest iron ore deposits. Recently, there was widespread excitement with the opening of the enormous Simandou iron-ore mine. Despite these riches, over half of the population lives in poverty.