Guinea coup leader Mamady Doumbouya wins presidential election

According to preliminary results, Guinea’s coup leader Mady Doumbouya has been elected president, easing the way for a civilian-led government to resurrect after almost five years of military rule.

Doumbouya received 86.72 percent of the vote cast on December 28; this absolute majority prevents him from winning a runoff, according to the preliminary results released on Tuesday.

In the event of a challenge, the Supreme Court has eight days to review the results.

Doumbouya, 41, faced eight presidential rivals, but the main opposition leaders had urged a vote-by-vote boycott and were prohibited from running.

In 2021, the former head of the special forces retakes office, replacing then-President Alpha Conde, who has been in office since 2010. Nine coups have transformed West and Central Africa’s politics since 2020, including one in this case.

Conde and former opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo both reside in exile right now.

Doumbouya reverts to her pledge

Doumbouya had promised to run for office after taking office four years ago. Military members’ initial post-coup charter forbids them from running in elections, but a new constitution removes those restrictions in a September referendum that approved them.

Election Commission head Djenabou Toure reported the provisional results’ 80% voter turnout late on Tuesday. Conakry, the capital’s capital, appeared to have a low turnout, and opposition figures contest comparable high turnout figures from the referendum’s results in September.

Guinea has one of the largest untapped iron ore deposits in the world, which was officially launched last month despite years of delays. It also has one of the largest untapped iron ore deposits in Guinea. Doumbouya cites the accomplishments of the mine as evidence of his leadership, claiming that his administration has ensured that the nation will receive more direct benefit from its resources.

Following a dispute over the development of refineries, his administration has also stepped up its efforts to control the mining industry, transferring its assets to a state-owned company and robbing Guinea Alumina Corporation of Emirates Global Aluminium’s license.

Support for military-led governments in the region has increased thanks to similar resource nationalism policies in neighboring African countries like Mali, Burkinabe, and Niger.

Concerns about political restraints

Under Doumbouya’s rule, political activity in Guinea has remained closely regulated. Civil society organizations accuse the authorities of enforcing restrictions on press freedom, restricting opposition organizing, and imposing restrictions on demonstrations.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk stated last week that the election campaign was “severely restricted, marked by intimidation of opposition actors, apparently politically motivated enforced disappearances, and restrictions on media freedom.”

Opposition candidate Faya Lansana Millimono stated at a press conference on Monday that “systematic fraudulent practices” had affected the vote, and that observers were unable to monitor both the counting and voting.