Conakry: Guinea's military leader Mamadi Doumbouya was declared the winner of the presidential election held over the weekend, provisional results showed Tuesday. Doumbouya, who seized power in a coup in 2021, secured 86.72% of the vote, according to the General Directorate of Elections. He was widely expected to win as major opposition figures were either barred or in exile, leaving a fragmented field with no strong challengers. Opposition leaders had called for a boycott of the vote.
According to Deutsche Welle, the election was widely seen as an effort to legitimize Doumbouya's hold on power, with a weakened opposition ensuring his victory. The election commission reported a turnout of 80.95%, a figure contested by opposition groups. Yero Balde, a former government minister, came a distant second with 6.51% of the vote.
Doumbouya came to power in the mineral-rich but impoverished West African nation through a 2021 coup that ousted former President Alpha Conde. Initially, Doumbouya ruled out a run for office and promised a return to civilian rule by the end of 2024. However, he reversed course after a new constitution in September lifted the ban on military officers seeking office and extended presidential terms to seven years. Civil liberties advocates have expressed concerns over a crackdown on protesters and a deterioration in press freedom under Doumbouya's rule. A citizens' collective, the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution, stated that many voters stayed away from the "electoral charade."
The vote took place against the backdrop of a spate of coups or coup attempts in Africa, with military officers capitalizing on popular discontent over deteriorating security, underwhelming economies, or disputed elections to seize power. Since November, Guinea-Bissau and Benin have also experienced coups.