Guinea’s presidential election campaign formally began on Monday, November 3, 2025, as the deadline for candidate submissions expired, setting the stage for a controversial vote scheduled for December 28. Transitional President Mamadi Doumbouya is widely expected to contest, while the country’s main opposition parties remain sidelined.
According to the Supreme Court, only four candidates representing smaller political movements filed their nominations before Monday’s deadline: former ministers Ousmane Kaba and Amadou Thierno Diallo, former Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté, and Ben Youssouf Keita.
Absent from the race are Guinea’s three major political parties, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), and the Union of Republican Forces (UFR), whose leaders were either barred from contesting due to age restrictions or remain in exile. Opposition figure Aliou Bah also remains in detention.
New Constitution Clears Path for Doumbouya
The election follows a September constitutional referendum that extended presidential terms from five to seven years and granted immunity to former presidents. The new charter also allows independent candidates to run, a move that many observers see as paving the way for Doumbouya’s own candidacy.
Close aides to the transitional leader have recently called for “continuity,” urging him to maintain his leadership beyond the transition period. Doumbouya, who led the 2021 military coup that overthrew former President Alpha Condé, has not yet officially declared his intentions.
Concerns Over Credibility and Inclusion
The December vote will be Guinea’s first presidential election since the coup, seen as a crucial test of the nation’s path back to civilian rule. However, the exclusion of major political players and the apparent advantage given to the incumbent under the revised constitution have raised serious doubts about the election’s fairness and inclusivity.
The Supreme Court is expected to release the final list of approved candidates by November 13.
