Guinea Election: Coup Leader Doumbouya Wins Presidency 86% Votes

Guinea Election: Coup Leader Doumbouya Wins Presidency 86% Votes
Opposition groups questioned credibility of poll and alleged irregularities.
Election followed constitutional changes allowing junta leaders to run.

Guinea’s military ruler, General Mamady Doumbouya, has been elected president after securing a landslide victory in the country’s weekend election, despite earlier pledging not to seek elected office after seizing power in a 2021 coup.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that initial results released on Tuesday by Guinea’s General Directorate of Elections showed that Doumbouya won 86.72 percent of the votes cast in the first round, comfortably clearing the threshold required to avoid a runoff.

Announcing the figures, the head of the election body, Djenabou Toure, said voter turnout stood at 80.95 percent.

Doumbouya, 41, contested the poll alongside eight other candidates. However, several prominent opposition figures were barred from participating under Guinea’s new constitutional framework, while others called on supporters to boycott the election.

Partial results earlier broadcast on state television showed that Doumbouya dominated voting in the capital, Conakry, where he secured more than 80 percent of votes in several districts. Similar outcomes were recorded in other regions, including Coyah, Boffa, Fria, Gaoual, Koundara, Labe and Nzerekore.

The result marks a sharp departure from Doumbouya’s earlier commitment to oversee a transition to civilian rule by the end of 2024 without contesting elections.

Despite the official figures, opposition parties and civil society groups have questioned the credibility of the vote. The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution, a citizens’ movement advocating a return to civilian rule, dismissed the election as a sham, claiming that many Guineans boycotted the process.

Some candidates who participated in the election also raised concerns. Abdoulaye Yero Balde alleged serious irregularities, including denial of access to vote counting centres and ballot stuffing in certain areas. Another contender, Faya Millimono, accused authorities of electoral banditry and undue influence on voters.

Doumbouya came to power in September 2021 after toppling then president Alpha Conde. His administration has since faced criticism over restrictions on civil liberties and the sidelining of political opponents.

A constitutional referendum held in September cleared the way for junta members to contest elections and extended presidential terms from five to seven years, renewable once.