Guinea: Incumbent party wins March 22 legislative elections /update 18

Event

On Wednesday, April 1, the Guinean Independent National Electoral Commission indicated that the ruling Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) party won 79 out of 114 National Assembly seats during the Sunday, March 22 legislative elections.

The main opposition parties boycotted the vote.

The legislative elections were coupled with a constitutional referendum on extending presidential term limits from five to six years with the "Yes" obtaining 91.59 percent of the votes.

Context

The coupled legislative election and referendum, originally supposed to take place on March 1, were postponed several times due to concerns raised by international observers about the electoral register. The United States embassy in Conakry also questioned the credibility of the referendum results.

President Condé, who has been in power since 2010, proposed a new constitution via the referendum which the opposition - that boycotted the vote - denounced as a constitutional coup enabling Condé to remain in power. The new constitution would extend the duration of the term to six years potentially enabling President Alpha Conde to govern the country for another 12 years.

Supporters of the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC) opposition party have held multiple protests to denounce the vote in recent months which have sometimes resulted in violence.

Advice

Individuals in Guinea, particularly in Conakry, are advised to monitor developments to the situation, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.