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Guinea opposition candidate claims victory, violence erupts

Guinea opposition candidate claims victory, violence erupts

SALIOU SAMB GUINEA opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo claims he has won the first round of the October 18 presidential election, but his claim was quickly disputed by the electoral commission and the government, setting the stage for a stand-off. "Despite the serious anomalies that marred the smooth running of the ... election and in view of the results that came out of the ballot boxes, I am victorious in this election in the first round," Diallo told journalists and cheering supporters. He did not give any figures but said the tally was based on his party's count, not an…
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Guinea votes on third term for Conde amid voter-card concerns

Guinea votes on third term for Conde amid voter-card concerns

SALIOU SAMB POLLS have closed and counting has begun in Guinea following a largely peaceful day in which voters decided whether to give 82-year-old President Alpha Conde a third mandate, made possible by a constitutional change in March. At least 50 people have been killed over the past year during demonstrations against the new constitution, according to Amnesty International, and violence erupted repeatedly during campaigning. A spokesman for the national election commission said the vote was "calm, serene and done with enthusiasm", but a number of people including one of the candidates said they had been turned away at polling…
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“Dangerous rhetoric” as Conde seeks third presidential term in Guinea

“Dangerous rhetoric” as Conde seeks third presidential term in Guinea

SALIOU SAMB GUINEANS head to the polls on Sunday in a tense election in which octogenarian President Alpha Conde is seeking to extend his rule into a third term, drawing fierce criticism from opponents who say he is breaking the law by running again. Conde became the West African country's first democratically elected leader in 2010, bringing hope of progress after years of dictatorship and military rule. Critics say he has carried on that authoritarian tradition with deadly crackdowns on dissent and neglect of the ordinary citizen. Voters in a March referendum approved changes to the constitution that Conde argues…
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Africa’s attempts to abandon practice of presidents for life suffer another setback

Africa’s attempts to abandon practice of presidents for life suffer another setback

ADEM K. ADEBE, Extraordinary Lecturer and editor of ConstitutionNet, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, University of Pretoria IVORIAN president Alassane Ouattara (78) has finally confirmed he’ll seek a third term in office in October. Within days of this, Guinea’s ruling party asked President Alpha Condé (82) to seek a third term. The actions signal that Africa is a long way from burying the ugly era of presidents for life. The period, which followed immediately after independence and lasted until the end of the 1990s, had a debilitating effect on stability, democracy and socio-economic development on the continent. In…
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Guinea’s Condé accepts nomination to seek third term

Guinea’s Condé accepts nomination to seek third term

GUINEA President Alpha Condé has accepted his party’s nomination to run in October’s election, the party said on Monday, taking advantage of a new constitution to seek a third term that his opponents say is unconstitutional. Condé, who was first elected in 2010, pushed through a change to the constitution that was approved by a referendum in March that was boycotted by the opposition. Talk of a potential third term sparked widespread protests that have killed at least 30 people over the past year. Condé’s supporters say the constitutional change acts as a reset button on the two-term limit. The…
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