Guinea Presidential Election: Coup Leader Doumbouya Secures Landslide Victory

Guinea’s military ruler, General Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup, has won the country’s presidential election in a decisive landslide, defying his earlier commitment not to contest.

According to official election results released on Tuesday by the General Directorate of Elections, Doumbouya secured 86.72 percent of the votes in the first round, surpassing the threshold needed to avoid a runoff. Voter turnout was reported at 80.95 percent, the electoral body’s head, Djenabou Toure, stated.

The 41-year-old junta leader faced eight other candidates, although several prominent opposition figures were barred from running under Guinea’s new constitutional rules. Some opposition groups had called for a boycott of the poll.

Partial results revealed Doumbouya’s dominance in Conakry, the capital, where he garnered more than 80 percent of votes in multiple districts. Similar results were reported in Coyah, Boffa, Fria, Gaoual, Koundara, Labe, and Nzerekore.

Doumbouya’s victory marks a reversal of his previous pledge to transition the mineral-rich nation to civilian rule by the end of 2024. Despite the official figures, opposition parties and civil society organizations have questioned the credibility of the election.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution, a pro-civilian group, described the election as a “sham” and claimed that most citizens boycotted the process. Other candidates who participated also raised allegations of irregularities, including denied access to vote-counting centers, ballot stuffing, and undue influence on voters.

Doumbouya first came to power in September 2021 by leading a coup that removed Alpha Conde, Guinea’s first democratically elected president. Since then, his administration has faced criticism for curtailing civil liberties, restricting protests, and targeting political opponents.

A September referendum introduced a new constitution allowing members of the junta to contest elections and extended presidential terms from five to seven years, renewable once. Several key opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo and ex-President Alpha Conde, were excluded from running due to residency or age restrictions.