Name: Guinea votes in first polls since coup, military leader likely to win
Uploaded: 2025-12-29T07:38:36.728Z
Duration: 2 min 29 s
Description: Mamady Doumbouya may win amid accusations of restrictions on the media and the opposition parties.

Mamady Doumbouya may win amid accusations of restrictions on the media and the opposition parties.

Conakry

Guinea has held its first election since the 2021 military coup, with incumbent military leader General Mamadi Dumbuya seeking to extend his rule to 10 years. Voters chose between Dumbuya and eight other candidates, including former World Bank official Abdullahi Yerubaldi, amid concerns about voting malpractices and the exclusion of several opposition parties.

Authorities described the election as a step toward restoring democracy, while opposition groups criticized the process as flawed and unfairly favoring the incumbent. International organizations, including ECOWAS, called the vote an important step for the region, which has experienced multiple coups in recent years.

Guinea votes in first polls since coup, military leader likely to win

The process to return Guinea to democratic rule is underway. After a disputed referendum and street protests violently put down, Guineans who turned out to vote have high expectations of whoever wins it. We truly want a united Guinea. We want peace. We want the country to move forward. Like every voter, she had to choose between incumbent military ruler General Dumbuya and eight others. Among them, former World Bank official Abdullahi Yerubaldi, who is worried about reported malpractices with local and diaspora voting. We need to have a fair process. This is what is very important for the country because we need political stability in our country. Military ruler Dumbuya seeks to extend his rule to 10 years, having seized power in a military coup in 2021. The authorities in Guinea called the vote a fulfillment of the promise to restore democracy three years after the coup. But the opposition doesn't see it that way. They describe the process as flawed right from the referendum that they say gave incumbent leader Mamadi Dumbuya an unfair advantage. But supporters say a flawed democratic process is better than none at all. Prime Minister Ahmadu Uri led the campaign to get General Dumbuya elected as president. We are in the way of democracy. Every country, every society have his own way to reach a state of democracy in his society. It's not very easy because history for each country is not the same. Turnout in many places in the capital was low. Security has been tight, but not enough to stop confrontation between the army and gunmen they accused of subversion on the eve of the vote. Several of the country's main opposition parties were barred and their leaders either thrown in jail or exiled. International institutions, including regional bloc echoes, call the vote an important first step in a region that has recorded seven successful military coups and several failed attempts. It's not clear if the election results will have an impact on junta-led countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, who already broke away from echoes.

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