Guinea starts distribution of voting cards ahead of October Elections

Distribution of voting cards began on Saturday, in what will be one of the most watched elections in Western Africa.

In key opposition neighbourhoods, some have argued the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) had voluntarly left them off the lists. Far from the truth for the commission.

"Among Those who didn't come back, many of them had incomplete information. So when we finished doing the integration, anyone who didn't have all the necessary information and documents were put aside", explains Mamadou Baldé, technical assistant of the CENI (independent national electoral commission).

12 candidates will be running for president, amongst which current head of state Alpha Condé. Many hope the election will go down smoothly and without any violent outbursts.

"I feel the election is going to go well, we have already started the campaign and we want our candidate to win the presidential election, Insha'Allah!" says student Abdoulaye Diallo, who just picked up his voting card.

The Guinean political scene was shaken up in late August when current president Alpha Condé said he woul officially run for a third term.

In total over 5 million voting cards should be handed out by the CENI.

Voters will have until October 18th, the date of the vote, to collect their cards.