Last Tuesday, the parliament in Guineaelected Amadou Damaro Camara as speaker of the 114-seat national assembly.

More Power to Conde

Mr Camara, who is a member of the ruling party, Rally of Guinean People (RPG, Rainbow), is also a strong ally of President Alpha Conde. Under Guinean law, the speaker of the parliament Mr Camara would succeed President Conde in the wake of any eventualities that leave a vacuum of power.

On the other hand, Mr Camara’s victory could mean more chances for President Conde to attempt a referendum that will extend his stay in office. Either way, this is not only a political win for the ruling party but a personal win for President Alpha Conde.

How Does the Guinea Parliament Elect Its Speaker?

The Speaker is elected by the members of parliament who were voted for during the last parliamentary elections. The speaker is usually chosen from the ruling party and serves a term of five years. Out of the 114 deputies, 110 took part in the inaugural session. Mr Camara was elected with 98 of the votes, with 6 votes going to his opponent Mohamed Lamine Kaba of the Force of Integrity for Democracy and Freedom (FIDEL) in Guinea.

A Walk Through Guinea’s Political History

Guinea is a very young democracy. The installation of its transition government happened on 15 January 2010 after years of turmoil and grave political instability. President Alpha Conde was elected afterwards as the first democratically elected president in November of the same year. However, this democratic goodwill President Conde enjoyed is not one he is willing to extend. In March he triggered a constitutional referendum that contains items that could extend his tenure in office after it expires this year.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), an opposition party in Guinea which boycotted the referendum has also opposed the election of the current speaker and has called for a “ghost city day” throughout the country as a form of protest.