All seven opposition leaders who contested Guinea’s presidential election against incumbent Alpha Conde said on Monday the result should be annulled because of fraud.
Their declaration is likely to stoke tension in the West African country with its history of election violence linked to ethnic strife, including at the last vote in 2010 that brought Conde to power.
Conde, who originally rose to power in a military coup, is favored to win a second term and Sunday’s result could be close enough to require a second round. Early provisional results announced by radio stations so far show Conde in the lead.
Opposition candidates including main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo told a news conference that there were numerous examples of fraud during Sunday’s vote.
Diallo cited an example in which he said voters registered this year in the city of Labe in central Guinea received no voting cards while only those who voted in 2010 could cast their ballots on Sunday.
“The election was a masquerade which started yesterday and still continues today at the central (election) commission level. In these conditions, we again demand that the election be scrapped because we cannot recognize results issued through this process,” Diallo said.
There was no immediate comment from the government.
REUTERS
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