Guinea Awaits Initial Results as Military Leader Doumbouya Seeks Civilian Presidency

Guinea’s presidential election results were expected on Monday following a vote in which military leader Mamadi Doumbouya seeks to become a civilian president after a four-year transition. The poll, marked by high turnout but the absence of key opposition figures, follows a new constitution that allows junta members to run and extends presidential terms.

Initial results from Guinea’s presidential election were expected on Monday, officials said, a day after voting took place in a contest that could see military leader Mamadi Doumbouya transition into a civilian president.
The election marks the culmination of a four-year transition process that began after General Mamadi Doumbouya seized power in a coup that removed President Alpha Condé. Now seeking to legitimize his leadership through the ballot box, Doumbouya is competing against eight other candidates in the race.
However, the election has been shaped by the absence of several prominent opposition figures. Former Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté and former government minister Ousmane Kaba were disqualified on technical grounds, while long-standing opposition leaders Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure are currently living in exile and were unable to participate.
Djenabou Toure, head of Guinea’s General Directorate of Elections, announced overnight on national radio and television that the vote-counting process was actively underway. She explained that both manual and computerized methods were being used to centralize and verify the results.
According to Toure, the ongoing process had already made it possible to gather initial data, adding that the first partial results could be made public as early as Monday. She had earlier told AFP late on Sunday that voter turnout stood at 85 percent, a significant figure given concerns about participation in an election lacking major opposition contenders.
In total, nine candidates are contesting the presidency. Doumbouya’s closest challenger is Yero Baldé, a relatively little-known politician from the Democratic Front of Guinea party, who previously served as education minister under former president Alpha Condé.
The election follows the approval of a new constitution in a referendum held in late September. The revised constitution allows members of the ruling junta to run for elected office, clearing the way for Doumbouya’s candidacy. It also extended the presidential term from five years to seven years, with the possibility of one renewal.
Guinea is rich in natural resources, including bauxite — a key mineral used in aluminium production — as well as iron ore, gold, and diamonds. Despite this wealth, more than half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, according to World Bank data.
Since gaining independence in 1958, Guinea has experienced a turbulent political history marked by authoritarian governance and repeated military interventions. For this election, nearly 6.8 million voters were registered, including about 125,000 Guineans living abroad who were eligible to cast their ballots.