Guinea court declares Alpha Conde elected president

By : AFP

Date: 7 November 2020 2:59pm WAT

(FILES) In this file photo taken on October 31, 2019 (FILES) In this file photograph taken on October 31, 2019, Guinea's President Alpha Conde greets his supporters as he stands in a vehicle proceeding along a road in Conakry. - Guinea's ruling party on August 31 confirmed months of speculation that President Alpha Conde will seek a third term in office, a possibility that had already sparked deadly mass protests. The news came after the 82-year-old president pushed through a constitutional reform in March that critics had already argued was a ploy to allow him to run for office again in the October 18 election. (Photo by CELLOU BINANI / AFP)

Guinea’s Constitutional Court on Saturday declared incumbent Alpha Conde had been reelected for a controversial third term as president at the age of 82.

At 59.5 percent, Conde’s support was above the absolute majority needed to win in the first round, judges found, throwing out challenges to the October 18 ballot from figures including his main opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo.

Diallo received 33.5 percent of the vote, according to the official count.

Guinea’s vote was held after a new constitution bypassed a two-term presidential limit and was followed by violence the opposition says has claimed 46 lives.

There is no way for Conde’s opponents to appeal the constitutional court decision, leaving the path formally clear for the president to begin a new six-year term — with the option for a second under the new constitution introduced in March.

Even before the election, the incumbent’s announcement that he would stand again triggered months of demonstrations and violence claiming dozens of lives, almost all of them civilians.