Election campaigns in Guinea are in full swing ahead of the October presidential polls.
The country’s constitutional court approved the names of eight candidates, including incumbent President Alpha Conde who is running for a second term. But already there are questions over whether these elections will be marred by violence.
With the list of presidential candidates approved, the business of campaigning has begun. Only eight candidates are contesting – in a country where dozens are the norm.
Ahead of the vote, there has been rising tensions and even violence. This tension has got many in the country concerned over the upcoming vote. Leslie Mirungu reports
The West African country has known only four rulers since independence from France in 1958 and analysts suggest there is little chance of a leadership change in Oct. 11’s presidential poll
Conde is a strong favorite thanks largely to deep divisions within an opposition riven by ethnic and personal rivalries.
While the opposition has haggled over the technicalities of the vote, Conde’s Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) party has quietly rolled out a campaign under the slogan “Progress is on the march”, championing infrastructure achievements in his first term and promising more to come.
For many voters, what matters most is that Conde succeeded in bringing reliable electricity to Conakry, a port city of more than 1 million people.
Power shortages were a major factor behind violent protests last year. The opening of the 240-megawatt, Chinese-built Kaleta hydroelectric dam in May resolved a problem that has dogged Guinea for 50 years.
In August, government and the country’s opposition signed a peace deal meant to ensure calm over the election period.
Campaigning will continue in the Ebola-affected country until two days before the October 11 vote.
