Guineans are voting in a presidential election on Sunday, the first under a new constitution that extends presidential terms from five to seven years and lifts a ban on serving military officers running for office. Junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power four years ago, is widely expected to win, with key opposition figures barred, exiled or weakened.
Under the new rules, Doumbouya faces eight largely marginal challengers. His main rival on the ballot, Yero Baldé of the Democratic Front of Guinea, is campaigning on anti-corruption and economic reform, but major opposition leaders have been disqualified or forced out, and more than 50 political parties were dissolved last year in what authorities called a “cleanup” of the political space. Rights groups say the coup era has brought abductions of critics, civil society intimidation and media censorship, raising serious doubts about the credibility of the vote.
Doumbouya’s campaign leans heavily on big-ticket infrastructure and economic projects, especially the long-delayed Simandou iron ore megaproject, now 75% Chinese-owned and finally producing after decades of false starts. Officials tout a national development plan linked to Simandou that promises tens of thousands of jobs and new investment in agriculture, transport, education, tech and health. But despite Guinea’s vast mineral wealth—including being the world’s top bauxite exporter—over half of its 15 million people still live in poverty and face food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme.
Security is extremely tight. Around 12,000 police officers and other security forces have been deployed nationwide, with checkpoints across Conakry and major roads. On Saturday, authorities said they had “neutralised” an armed group with “subversive intentions” after gunfire in the capital’s Sonfonia district. More than six million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots; official results are expected within 48 hours, with a runoff foreseen if no candidate crosses 50%. Analysts say the poll is part of a broader continental pattern in which military rulers seek electoral legitimation after coups, in a region that has seen at least ten putsches in recent years.
