Guinea’s main opposition leader Celloun Dalein Diallo withdrew on Wednesday from a presidential election, citing fraud, and he will not recognise the results, his campaign director said.
His decision came as the national election commission began to announce results from a vote held on Sunday that is expected to return incumbent Alpha Conde to a second five-year term in office in the West African country.
Guinea has a history of political violence linked to ethnic tension, including protests during the 2010 campaign that brought Conde to power. On Wednesday police fired tear gas at protesters in the capital and the government called for calm.
“However the results turn out, we will see that they have nothing to do with reality. In any case, we will not recognise them,” said Diallo campaign director Aboubacar Sylla.
The Independent National Electoral Commission began to announce results late on Wednesday, though the process might not end until later this week.
Early radio announcements had Conde with a sizeable lead. Most analysts, though, expected results to be close enough to require a second round, most likely against Diallo. It was not clear how his withdrawal would affect the process.
Millions of voters, around 75% of the population, cast their votes in Guinea’s second free election in nearly 60 years since independence.
Sunday’s voting was calm and won praise from international observers, though one monitor urged caution in declaring the whole election fair before results have been announced.
Justice Minister Cheick Sako said at the same meeting that those caught protesting would face criminal charges.
Dozens of anti-riot police vehicles circulated in opposition neighbourhoods, where burnt-out tyres and rocks littered the streets following the clashes late on Tuesday.
