Guinea: Election run-off set for Nov. 7

  1. Posted on Thursday 28 October 2010 - 09:35
    Samuel
    Image of Samuel
    Samuel Okocha, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria
    The West African country of Guinea is to hold its much delayed presidential poll run-off on November 7, a presidential decree read on state TV said. The country's National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) had proposed this Sunday, October 31, as the election date, but was awaiting a presidential approval.
    Guinea's presidential election campaigns resumes
    The Director of the president's press office on national TV Mohamed Kasse announced the new date on Wednesday night, according to a CNN report.

    Head of CENI, retired Malian general Siaka Toumani Sangare, said the November 7 election date ''is a consensual date that will hold permanently." The two presidential candidates are reportedly in support of the date.

    Candidate in the run-off, Cellou Dalein Diallo, had raised concern about the earlier proposed October 31 date, saying there was need for people to recover from last weekend's violence which forced over a thousand people out from their homes.

    Sensitization

    As part of efforts to maintain peace, director of the president's press office Kasse in a TV broadcast said that the two candidates Diallo and Conde would travel together to regions affected by violence in the past week.

    "Tomorrow ... the two candidates accompanied by government and religious figures will visit the prefectures effected by recent violence -- Mamou, Kissidougou and Siguiri -- to raise awareness," CNN quoted Kasse as saying.

    Background

    Guinea’s military seized power in 2008 after the death of long-time leader Lansana Conte.

    The present transition to civil rule is a task the present military regime agreed to accomplish after over 100 Guineans reportedly lost their lives during protests against the military government in September last year.

    At that period, demonstrators were protesting the decision of the then military ruler Captain Mousa Dadis Camara to stand for President in the January 2010 elections. Government forces were said to have used tear gas, batons and live ammunition to check the protests.

    December last year, Guinea’s Present military ruler Sekoub Konate assumed the country’s leadership after previous junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, recovering from an assassination attempt, handed over and went into exile.

    On becoming the junta leader, Konate appointed long-time opposition figure Jean-Marie Dore as civilian prime minister and a key labour leader to head a body to manage the transition to civil rule.

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