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Guineaâs Two Presidential Candidates Begin Campaigning Early

   Peter Clottey 10 August 2010
   Presidential  candidate and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo
   casts  his  vote  in presidential elections in Conakry, Guinea, 27 Jun
   2010

Photo: AP

   Presidential  candidate and former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo
   casts  his  vote  in presidential elections in Conakry, Guinea, 27 Jun
   2010

   The  chairman of Guineaâs Research Institute on Democracy and the Rule
   of   Law,  a  non-governmental  organization,  said  the  two  leading
   presidential candidates in the last election have begun campaigning, a
   day  after  the  government  announced the runoff vote will be held on
   19^th September.

   Attorney  Theirno  Balde said the two frontrunners from the 27^th June
   election  were  scheduled  to  officially  begin campaigning two weeks
   ahead of the presidential runoff.

   âEven  before the date was announced, the two political parties, which
   will  contest  the  second  round, have already begun campaigns. Going
   from  house  to house talking to the people in there and trying to get
   more  support  for the last round. They are trying to mobilize maximum
   support  not  only  in  the  capital  city,  Conakry,  but also in the
   countryside,â he said.

   Guineaâs  government  announced  Monday  the  date of the run-off vote
   after  the presidential hopefuls failed to garner more than 50 percent
   of the total votes required to win.

   According  to  the electoral code, official campaigns are scheduled to
   begin two weeks before the Election Day.

   Under   Guineaâs  constitution,  only  the  two  leading  presidential
   candidates  in the first round election are eligible to participate in
   the  runoff  vote. Former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo and long
   time  opposition  leader  Alpha  Conde  are  the only two qualified to
   contest in the election.

   Attorney  Balde  said  the  second  round date was scheduled following
   meetings  between  officials  of  the electoral commission and the two
   presidential candidates.

   âIt  has been a compromise date because some people wanted to organize
   this  election  before  the  end of August. And, some people wanted to
   delay  it  further  saying that the electoral commission is not ready,
   and  that they have to have more time to review all the mistakes which
   were made during the first round,â Balde said.

   Recently,  the  Supreme  Court  upheld  the preliminary results of the
   27^th  June  first-round  vote,  ruling  Mr.  Diallo  won  44 percent,
   followed by Alpha Conde with 18 percent.

   Attorney  Balde  said the electoral commission promised to organize an
   improved  election  runoff  after  several parties complained of voter
   irregularities during the first round of the presidential vote.

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