Political parties backing Guinea's coup-leader-turned-President Mamady Doumbouya have secured a majority in the legislative elections of the bauxite-rich West African nation, the electoral authority announced on Friday, tightening his hold on power. The final allocation of Guinea's 147 legislative seats was still being determined, but provisional data showed the pro-Doumbouya Generation for Modernity and Development (GMD) coalition significantly outperforming its rivals. GMD and its allies had won at least 100 seats, according to the results.
Doumbouya's Consolidation of Power
The outcome is set to further consolidate the position of Doumbouya, a former special forces commander who seized power in 2021 and won a seven-year term as president in December, a result contested by his opponents. Nationwide voter turnout stood at 52.87% for the legislative contests and 58.51% for communal elections, which were held simultaneously on Sunday. Aminata Toure, the country's top election official, stated on Thursday that political parties have eight days to challenge individual results, and the relevant judicial bodies will adjudicate any disputes. Final results will be announced after those disputes are resolved.
Opposition Parties Barred
No major opposition parties were permitted to participate in Sunday's vote. The parties of former President Alpha Conde and opposition leaders Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure have been dissolved. Diallo, who is in exile, called in March for "direct resistance" to Doumbouya after the government consolidated its position by dissolving those parties and 37 others. A government decree at the time stated that the parties had failed to meet legal obligations such as filing financial statements.
