Guinea junta accused of coveting power in crucial referendum

Four years aft the subject seized power, Guineans volition yet ballot connected a caller draught constitution that would pave the mode for elections but besides licence the country’s junta person to tally for president, successful a referendum boycotted by the opposition.

The Sunday vote, which Guineans and the planetary assemblage person been awaiting for years, opens the mode for stalled governmental elections successful the westbound African nation.

The state has been ruled with an robust fist by junta main General Mamady Doumbouya since helium overthrew elected civilian president Alpha Conde successful 2021.

Some 6.7 cardinal Guineans volition beryllium capable to formed a ballot, retired of a colonisation of astir 14.5 cardinal people.

Among the poorest countries successful the satellite contempt having affluent earthy resources, specified arsenic bauxite and robust ore, Guinea has a agelong past of coups and convulsive authoritarian regimes.

Under planetary pressure, Guinea’s subject initially pledged to instrumentality powerfulness to civilians earlier the extremity of 2024.

Staging a referendum has allowed the junta to deflect demands from the planetary assemblage and donors to clasp the predetermination for a civilian government.

Guinea’s authorities are promising statesmanlike and legislative elections earlier the extremity of the year, but person not yet acceptable a date.

All signs constituent to a tally by Doumbouya, contempt his archetypal committedness not to basal for predetermination and to instrumentality powerfulness to the people.

“Since 2021 determination has been nary electoral contention of immoderate kind, determination haven’t been immoderate votes, the authorities has delayed holding elections,” Franklin Nossiter, Sahel expert astatine International Crisis Group, told AFP.

“Although erstwhile helium took powerfulness Mamady Doumbouya was precise wide that helium was not going to clasp connected to power… it seems beauteous wide (a tally for bureau is) the absorption wherever things are going,” Nossiter added.

If adopted, the caller constitution would regenerate a “transition charter” established by the subject government, which had prevented the junta’s leaders, authorities members and heads of institutions from lasting successful elections.

The stipulation does not beryllium successful the draught constitution, thereby paving the mode for Doumbouya’s run.

It remains to beryllium seen however galore voters volition formed a ballot fixed the boycott, and erstwhile results volition beryllium released, with the junta not having fixed a date.

– Blanket of soundlessness –

The authorities “have nary volition of going anywhere”, Nossiter said.

The absorption has called for a boycott of the referendum, denouncing the ballot arsenic an effort by Doumbouya to prehend power.

Meanwhile a broad of soundlessness has fallen connected dissent and absorption successful Guinea arsenic the junta has accrued restrictions connected freedom.

Since 2022, the junta has banned demonstrations and has arrested, prosecuted oregon pushed into exile respective absorption leaders, immoderate of whom were victims of forced disappearances.

On August 23 the junta suspended 3 of the country’s main absorption parties for 3 months.

Several media outlets person additionally been suspended and journalists arrested, creating a clime of fearfulness among the media.

The draught constitution contains 199 articles and is titled “A New Constitution, a Constitution that Reflects Us and Unites Us”.

Many of the articles are progressive: One establishes a High Court of Justice to effort presidents and members of the authorities successful bid to combat impunity.

Another creates a Senate to equilibrium power, and yet different promotes sex parity, with a mandatory quota of astatine slightest 30 percent women successful decision-making and elected positions.

“Guineans aspire to person a modern country,” Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said successful an interrogation with AFP.

“In presumption of antiauthoritarian progress, the law task has taken into relationship each the demands that person much oregon little been made by society, some governmental and civic” successful caller decades, Bah said.

But the draught besides contains items that person been heavy criticised by the opposition.

By stipulating that candidates indispensable beryllium betwixt 40 and 80 years of property and person their superior residence successful Guinea, it efficaciously excludes 2 of the main oppone...