Guinea: Local elections set for February 4, 2018

Event

On Monday, December 4, President Alpha Condé confirmed that local elections will take place on February 4, 2018, as proposed by the electoral commission. Large gatherings are likely in the coming months as part of the various electoral campaigns.

Context

Guinea has not held local elections since 2005. According to an October 2016 agreement between the government, the political opposition, and civil society, local elections should have been held in February 2017. However, President Condé has repeatedly delayed elections. On September 21, protests were held in Conakry against the repeated election delays, along with the government’s inability to address the country’s poor economic performance.

Political protests take place on a regular basis throughout the country. Civil society protest groups, mainly organized by the political opposition, frequently denounce what they claim is a failure of governance by President Condé and his party. Demonstrators also regularly protest corruption, the high cost of living, public health issues, and insecurity. Clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police regularly take place during protests.

Advice

Individuals in Guinea are advised to remain abreast of the political situation in the country via local media, and to avoid all protests.