Guinea’s President Condé has asked his government to start consultations on constitutional changes ahead of elections next year, a process that could enable him seek a third term in office.

This has caused delays in scheduling elections, buying the president more time to get enough votes to endorse the proposed constitution amendment and call for a referendum.

Hope for Democracy?

The 81-year-old Conde, who leads the ruling Rassemblement du Peuple Guineen (RPG) party, won the first-ever democratic elections in 2010, becoming Guinea’s first democratically-elected president.

His win signified the end of over two decades of military rule by President Lansana Conte, who died in 2008. He was re-elected in 2015 after winning a majority vote (58%) against former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein. Under the current constitution, an election should hold next year, as a president can only serve two five-year terms.

However, if up to two-thirds of parliament consent to Conde’s effort of remaining in power, or a referendum is approved, Conde could remain president for life.

Crackdown on Citizens

At least four protesters were shot dead in Conakry as police opened fire on protesters in the capital, who were calling for the president to discontinue his bid for an amendment in the constitution.

Speaking during the protest, Cellou Diallo, who came second behind Conde in the 2010 and 2015, said: “We encourage citizens to continue to demonstrate – today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. We need a clear, firm and irrevocable declaration from Alpha Conde renouncing a third term.”

Citizens of Guinea have no trust in their government as Conde’s rule has remained authoritarian, sanctioning opposition and civil voices and have also lost trust in their electoral and security institutions, the courts and Parliament.

According to an Afrobarometer survey, trust in the CENI (Commission électorale nationale indépendante) Guinea’s electoral body dropped from 48 percent in 2015 to 36 percent in 2018. Similarly, trust in the President dropped from 59 percent in 2015 to 46 percent in 2018, trust in Parliament dropped from 53 percent to 38 percent, and trust in the judicial system dropped from 43 percent to 34 percent.

This declining trust in Guinea’s institutions is contributing to the current instability. If elections are not called soon, the situation may escalate into more clashes between government and opposition forces.