Guinea Voters Back New Constitution Clearing Path for Junta Leader
Four years after the military seized power, voters in a Guinea referendum have resoundingly chosen to implement a new constitution, with 89 percent supporting the charter. This paves the way for elections in the West African country, but also permits General Mamady Doumbouya, its junta leader, to run for president.
The “yes” vote won with 89.4 percent of ballots, according to the official provisional results announced by Ibrahima Kalil Conde, minister of territorial administration and decentralisation.
According to Conde, total election turnout stood at 86.4 percent. Final results will be announced by the Supreme Court at an unspecified date.
The opposition, many of whose leaders are based abroad, had called for a boycott, describing the vote as a power grab with predetermined results.
Despite their plea, Guineans flooded to the polls, with the majority interviewed by French news agency AFP stating they had voted to move forward with a new constitution.
Guinea votes on new constitution as junta leader eyes presidency
Some 6.7 million Guineans out of a population of approximately 14.5 million people were eligible to cast a ballot.
Campaigning had been strong in the referendum’s “yes” camp: rallies, marching bands and posters depicting 40-year-old Doumbouya were prevalent throughout the country.
Doumbouya, at the head of a military junta ousted long-serving president Alpha Condé in September 2021 and dissolved the government and constitution.
The “no” campaign was virtually non-existent, mainly carried out on social media and often led by the junta’s critics in exile.
Exiled former prime minister and fierce junta critic Cellou Dalein Diallo on Tuesday called the vote a “masquerade” that was aimed at “whitewashing” the 2021 coup that brought the junta to power.
Diallo and other members of the opposition had called for a boycott of the vote.
Authorities deployed 45,000 members of the security forces across the country Sunday for the vote, along with 1,000 light and armoured vehicles and combat helicopters, the National Gendarmerie said.
The military had initially pledged to return power to civilians before the end of 2024.
By RFI
