Military Junta Bans Members From Running In National And Regional Elections In Guinea

Illustration of a Guinean military patrol after the coup. (Wikimedia Commons/Aboubamarkhoraa)

JAKARTA - The Guinean junta is barring its members from running in the next national or local elections, and will agree on the length of the transition to elections with the 81-member Transitional National Council (TNC).

Earlier this month the September 5 coup leader and former commander of Guinea's elite forces, Mamady Doumbouya, shrugged off an asset freeze and travel ban imposed by regional bloc ECOWAS, aimed at pressing a swift transition to constitutional rule.

Over the past two weeks, the junta has held consultations with several community leaders and business leaders, to map out a framework for Guinea's transitional government.

"According to the charter of the transitional government, Doumbouya will become president, with a government consisting of a civilian prime minister and a cabinet, no one may be a candidate in the election", a junta spokesman told state broadcaster, quoting Reuters on September 28.

"The TNC must be at least 30 percent female and will include a president and two vice presidents, who are also not allowed to run in future elections, the spokesperson said.

West African regional leaders are trying to impose sanctions to prevent the further democratic decline in the region, after four military-led coups in West and Central Africa since last year.

As previously reported, the elite forces of Guinea's national army announced they had seized power, overthrowing President Alpha Conde in a coup attempt, after gunfire around the presidential palace in Conakry, the capital of Guinea.

Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, head of the unit and leader of the coup attempt, said the move was caused by corruption which led to poverty in the country.

"Endemic poverty and corruption have prompted troops to remove President Alpha Conde from his position. We have dissolved the government and institutions. We will rewrite the constitution together", said Doumbouya of his reason for taking power.