Guinea's Supreme Courtroom confirms Mamady Doumbouya as election winner

[ad_1] Guinea's Supreme Courtroom on Sunday validated an amazing presidential election victory for junta chief Mamady Doumbouya, crediting him with 86.72 p.c of votes.

This confirms provisional outcomes introduced on Tuesday, following the December 28 election that excluded opposition heavyweights from the poll.

Doumbouya, 41, who had pledged to not run for workplace after seizing energy 4 years in the past, aced eight rivals for the presidency – however the primary opposition leaders have been barred from working and had urged a boycott of the vote.

Doumbouya, "working as an impartial candidate, gained 86.72 of the votes," the Courtroom's first president, Fode Bangoura, stated as he introduced the ultimate election tally.

Bangoura then declared Doumbouya "president of the Republic of Guinea for a seven-year mandate".

Learn extra Guinea: Doumbouya's energy leaves opponents mute with concern

The runner-up, Abdoulaye Yero Balde, gained 6.59 p.c of the vote, additionally unchanged from the provisional end result.

Balde, who had challenged the election end in a submitting with the Supreme Courtroom, had since "voluntarily withdrawn" the grievance, Fode Bangoura stated.

In September 2021, Doumbouya led a coup to topple Guinea's first freely elected president, Alpha Conde.

Learn extra ‘The president is with us,’ Guinea’s coup chief tells FRANCE 24

He has cracked down on civil liberties and banned protests, whereas opponents have been arrested, placed on trial or pushed into exile.

In late September, Guineans permitted a brand new structure in a referendum that permitted junta members to run for workplace, paving the way in which for Doumbouya's candidacy.

It additionally lengthened presidential phrases from 5 to seven years, renewable as soon as.

Because the vote approached, Doumbouya's normal camouflage fatigues and pink beret gave technique to civilian garments for his uncommon public appearances, at all times surrounded by males from the Particular Forces Group, the army unit from which he hails.

It was as head of those forces that then-colonel Doumbouya stormed the presidential palace in 2021 and ousted Conde, who had been in energy for some 11 years.

The federal government seizure by the profession soldier was initially welcomed by Guineans after protests have been violently repressed amid Conde's win of a 3rd time period.

The brand new strongman promised that no member of the junta would run for workplace in elections meant to return energy to civilians, which have been to be held on the finish of a transition interval.

Since then, Doumbouya has promoted himself to common and reneged on that promise, whereas silencing dissent.

Beneath Doumbouya, a number of political events and media shops have been suspended, demonstrations have been banned in 2022 and repressed, and quite a few opposition and civil society leaders have been arrested, convicted or compelled into exile.