Guinea’s Junta Leader Cleared to Run in December Presidential Election
CONAKRY, Guinea – Guinea’s Supreme Court has approved the candidacy of junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya for the upcoming presidential election, a move that paves the way for the military ruler who seized power in a coup to run for the nation’s top office.
The court published the final list of candidates on Monday, greenlighting only nine out of 51 applicants for the December 28 vote, according to an AFP report.
Doumbouya, a former special forces commander, led a military takeover in September 2021, ousting elected President Alpha Condé. At the time, he condemned the previous government for endemic corruption and authoritarianism and pledged to “refound the state” and restore civilian rule.
His official entry into the race marks a significant step in the political transition, though the process has been criticized by opposition figures.
Notably absent from the candidate list is exiled opposition leader and former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, a key political figure who has contested previous elections. The Supreme Court’s decision to exclude him and dozens of other hopefuls narrows the field significantly.
Among the eight other approved candidates is Faya Lansana Milimono, a vocal critic of the junta, who is expected to be Doumbouya’s best-known challenger. The remaining contenders are considered lesser-known figures on the national political stage.
The election is being closely watched by international observers and regional bodies as Guinea, a country rich in bauxite, attempts to navigate a return to constitutional order. The approval of Doumbouya’s candidacy sets the stage for a highly scrutinized poll just over three years after the military dissolved the government and suspended the constitution.
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