Guineans divided over results as president Conde wins re-election with clear majority

Oct 23, 2015 Guinea’s electoral commission recently declared President Alpha Conde winner of Guinea’s general election, giving him a second term in office. Conde garnered 58 percent of almost 4 million votes cast.

This was announced by Bakary Fofana, president of the country’s independent national electoral commission.

“The candidate, Professor Alpha Conde, having obtained the absolute majority of ballots cast, precisely 2,297,897 votes which represent 57.85% of the electorate. While awaiting the definitive announcement of the results by the Constitutional Court, CENI declares Professor Alpha Conde the winner of the October 11th elections by a single round,”

Opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, who won 31 percent of the votes, said he did not recognize the result and called on Guineans to protest against fraud and rigging.

“I will, at a given time, call for all Guinean citizens who were the real victims of this electoral ‘hold-up’ to put to use the rights provided to them in the constitution to organize peaceful public demonstrations to highlight their disapproval of the election process and outcome; and also to protest this denial of democracy I have just witnessed,”

Although candidates have eight days to lodge complaints to the constitutional court before the election is ratified, Diallo said he will not appeal to the court.

Elsewhere, President Conde’s supporters took to the streets to celebrate the victory. One of the supporters said:

“The results of the CENI are the reflection of reality. The only announced that what happened in these elections was carried out in peace,”

Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, Alpha Conde’s campaign manager said:

“The result is the acknowledgement by Guineans of the quality of work accomplished by our candidate during his first mandate. The people have made him leader once again through plebiscite,”