POLITICS-GUINEA: Poll Marred by Boycott and Low Turnout

By Lansana Fofana Reprint | | Print |

Lansana Fofana

CONAKRY, Dec 22 2003 (IPS) - "These elections had been fixed even before actual polling; they are fraudulent," cried Mamadou Boye Barry of the opposition Union for National Progress. Boye Barry was one of only two candidates in Guinea’s presidential election, held on Sunday. The other was incumbent President Lansana Conte.

Boye Barry added, furiously: "The electoral commission is not independent and supporters of the opposition were intimidated. Last year when we had the legislative elections, the electoral list stood at three million. Now, it’s about 5.9 million – this is unacceptable."

These words notwithstanding, the little-known opposition figure is widely thought to have been used by Conte to give the poll some semblance of legitimacy. The main opposition parties all refused to take part in Sunday’s election – this after the constitution was altered to allow Conte to stand for a third term in office. The president had held a referendum on the constitutional change.

Seven of the opposition groups formed a coalition known as the Revival Front for Democratic Change (FRAD) and called for a nationwide boycott of the poll. FRAD Chairman Mamadou Ba described the vote as "a farce and a mockery of democracy."

Ba, who is leader of the Union of Democratic Forces, told IPS in Conakry that, "The election results are a foregone conclusion. Conte is sure to win because his Unity and Progress Party (PUP) had fixed everything ahead."

"But, we will resist his undemocratic tendencies," he added.

Sunday’s voting passed off quietly in many parts of the country, with little enthusiasm on the part of disenchanted and poverty-stricken voters. It seemed that the opposition’s call for a boycott had been heeded.

"People just sat in front of their houses playing games like ludo, cards and draughts. Others simply didn’t notice that elections were taking place," commented journalist Fantamady Condeh in the capital.

Out of more than 25 political parties and associations, only Boye Barry’s Union for National Progress was allowed to contest the poll. The Supreme Court had earlier disqualified other parties, after they failed to pay the 10,000 dollar registration fee required for participation.

In the run-up to the poll, opposition militants were also intimidated, arrested, beaten and detained.

"I didn’t vote because the whole process is nonsense. I think Lansana Conte and his PUP are bent on holding on to power. It is time for change," said Binta Sowe, a housewife.

Ibrahim Camar, a businessman in Conakry, asked "What’s the purpose of voting? I haven’t eaten since daybreak, so why bother…about voting for people who only care for their (own) families."

The ailing Conte suffers from diabetes and other health problems, and can barely walk. He runs the country from his home village, and is hardly seen in the capital. On polling day, Conte was spotted voting in his car.

The president, a former general in the Guinean army, came to power in 1984 after a military coup. He has kept a tight rein on the country’s political scene ever since, frequently cracking down on the opposition.

There have been rumours of planned coups and dozens of military officers were arrested and detained on the eve of elections.

This weekend’s vote attracted little international support. The European Union (EU) is withholding about 345 million dollars in assistance to Guinea, some of which was to have been used to fund the electoral process. The EU’s support had been linked to the establishment of an independent electoral commission, and to candidates being given equal access to the state media. The government failed to meet these requirements.

Results for Sunday’s poll are expected within a short time.

Regional leaders are watching developments in Guinea carefully, as difficulties there could spill over into neighbouring countries. This could spell disaster for Liberia and Sierra Leone, which are enjoying a fragile peace after years of civil conflict.