Guinea’s Doumbouya expected to win amid opposition boycott
Guinea’s presidential election is underway, with Mamady Doumbouya widely expected to secure victory. The vote comes after the junta leader reversed his earlier pledge not to run and barred key opposition figures from participating. Critics, including opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, have condemned the process as undemocratic. The election’s credibility is in question, as many Guineans face poverty despite the country’s mineral wealth.
What we know
- Mamady Doumbouya is running for president after leading the junta that took power four years ago.
- Main opposition leaders, including Cellou Dalein Diallo, have been barred from the election.
- The campaign has faced criticism for intimidation, enforced disappearances, and media restrictions.
- The new constitution allows junta members to run and extends presidential terms from five to seven years.
- The election is being organized by a government ministry, not an independent electoral body, for the first time since 2006.
