The government of Guinea resigned on Thursday ahead of a planned cabinet reshuffle, a day after opposition parties suspended protests over disputed polls.
Confirming the resignation was the minister of state and presidential spokesman Kiridi Bangoura who said the Prime Minister Mamady Youla had presented his resignation and that of the whole government. He however told the press that the outgoing government will remain in charge of day to day tasks until a new government is drawn up.
Alpha Conde, a historic opponent who came to power in 2010, had promised to listen to the “silent majority” and then proceed with a “major cabinet reshuffle” to “put ministers who are listening to the population and who take care of their programs “.
On Wednesday, opposition parties suspended street protests against the official outcome of local elections in February, saying the international community had offered to mediate.
Conde’s Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) party defeated a coalition led by the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), according to the results. On Monday, the opposition, resuming strike action by its supporters, brought trade and traffic to a standstill in parts of the capital Conakry.
The conflict in education ended a few days later, after an agreement on wages, but the opposition still contests the victory in the February 4 local elections of the ruling party, the RPG, against the UFDG. Former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, the main opponent of President Alpha Condé.
At the beginning of April, the opposition suspended its street demonstrations in order to initiate a dialogue with the authorities. According to the opposition, press and human rights NGOs, 94 opponents have been killed in Guinea mostly by gunshots during political demonstrations since April 2011
