Guinea’s military leader, General Mamady Doumbouya, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing an overwhelming majority of the votes, according to provisional results released on Tuesday by the General Directorate of Elections. Newday Reporters learnt that Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 military coup, emerged victorious despite earlier pledges that he would not contest for political office.
The 41-year-old junta chief reportedly garnered 86.72 percent of the votes cast in the first round, a figure well above the threshold required to avoid a runoff election. Voter turnout was placed at 80.95 percent, according to Djenabou Toure, head of the General Directorate of Elections.
Doumbouya contested the election alongside eight other candidates. However, major opposition figures were barred from participating, a development that led leading opposition groups to call for a boycott of the polls, which were held over the weekend.
Official partial results earlier broadcast on RTG, Guinea’s state television, showed Doumbouya recording massive victories across several districts of the capital, Conakry, where he secured over 80 percent of the votes in many areas. Similar margins were recorded in Coyah near Conakry, as well as in other regions including Boffa and Fria in western Guinea, Gaoual in the northwest, Koundara and Labé in the north, and Nzérékoré in the southeast.
Despite the announced results, a civil society coalition advocating a return to civilian governance cast doubt on the credibility of the election. The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) claimed that a significant portion of the population boycotted what it described as an “electoral charade.”
Doumbouya’s victory marks a reversal of his earlier commitment to oversee a transition back to civilian rule by the end of 2024 without seeking elected office.
Instead, his candidacy became possible following the approval of a new constitution in a referendum held in late September. The revised constitution allows members of the ruling junta to contest elections and extends the presidential term from five to seven years, renewable once.
The election has also been marred by allegations of irregularities. One of the candidates, Abdoulaye Yero Baldé, rejected the outcome, citing what he described as serious electoral malpractices, including denial of access for his representatives to vote-counting centres and alleged cases of ballot stuffing in some locations. Another contender, Faya Millimono, accused authorities of “electoral banditry,” alleging undue influence on voters.
Several prominent opposition leaders were excluded from the race under the new constitutional provisions. Former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo was barred on the grounds that he lives in exile and does not maintain his primary residence in Guinea. Former President Alpha Condé, who was ousted by Doumbouya in the 2021 coup, and former Prime Minister Sidya Touré were also disqualified, having exceeded the maximum age limit of 80 years.
Since taking power, Doumbouya’s administration has faced criticism for restricting civil liberties, banning public protests, and arresting or forcing political opponents into exile, raising ongoing concerns about democratic governance and human rights in the mineral-rich but economically challenged West African nation.
