After months of speculation, the ruling party in Guinea, Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) confirmed that 82-year-old President Alpha Condé will be seeking a third term in office, a choice that had already sparked protests even before it was made.
The party made the announcement in a televised statement presented at its rally, saying, “President Alpha Condé will indeed be our candidate in the presidential election.” This news comes after Condé pushed through a constitutional reform in March that critics had argued was designed to allow him to run for office again in the October 18 election.
The party had formally nominated him to run again back in August, but Condé’s response was tied to the condition that the party be more inclusive with regards to women and the youth community. “If you want me to accept your proposal, you have to commit yourself to make the RPG what it used to be; a party that forgets no one,” he told the delegates of his party.
Condé was elected president in 2010 and again for a second term in 2015. Under the constitution of Guinea, presidents may only serve two terms. But according to analysts, the new constitution could reset the presidential term counter and enable him to run a third time.
Guinea Opposition Reacts
For several months, the possible candidacy of Alpha Condé for a third term has resulted in increased tensions in the country with opposition figures at the forefront of a protest movement against the referendum in March and an unsuccessful attempt to organise a boycott. These protests have resulted in the killing of civilians and the destruction of property.
The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC) in a statement reacting to Condé’s third bid, revealed that its protest actions against a Condé candidacy will soon enter a “decisive phase.”
“It is now clear even to the most sceptical that Mr Alpha Conde who claims to have fought for decades for democracy in Guinea is none other than the biggest disappointment in the political history of our country,” the statement read.
