Guinea presidential elections 2nd round: it’s Diallo vs Condé
Special to USAfricaonline.com
The Supreme Court in Guinea gave the go-ahead for the second round of presidential elections late Tuesday night (September 7, 2010) at a press conference.
The landmark elections, seen as Guinea’s first free election since its independence from France in 1958, will see former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo battle it out against his main opponent Alpha Condé.
The court’s ruling confirmed the provisional results of the 27 June first round of voting, which had been challenged by several of the eliminated candidates who had alleged fraud.
No date was given for the run-off which was first due on 18 July but postponed following the fraud allegations.
The court’s final version of the first-round results credited Diallo with 43.69 per cent of the vote and Conde 18.25 per cent.
Sidya Toure, a former prime minister, came in third with 13.62 per cent. His supporters were adamant that ballot-box stuffing in favour of Condé had robbed him of second place.
Guinea_presidential aspirant Cellou_Dalein_Diallo
On Wednesday, Barack Obama congratulated the people of Guinea following the first round of “historic” elections.
In a written statement the US president urged all parties to “continue to choose the rule of law and peaceful political participation over ethnic division and violence. They can continue to count on the support of the United States as they move forward.” ref: RFI
