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Guinea Court Set to Rule on Disputed June Election

   Peter Clottey 18 July 2010
   Local  residents watch as election workers count presidential votes at
   an  outdoor  polling  station  in Conakry, Guinea (File Photo - 27 Jun
   2010)

Photo: AP

   Local  residents watch as election workers count presidential votes at
   an  outdoor  polling  station  in Conakry, Guinea (File Photo - 27 Jun
   2010)

   The  leader of Guineaâs New Generation for the Republic party told VOA
   he  expects a fair judgment ahead of the Supreme Courtâs ruling on the
   27^th June presidential election, scheduled to be delivered Monday.

   Abe  Sylla  said  there  is a need for the entire Guinea population to
   respect and abide by the Supreme Courtâs ruling.

   âAs  you  are  aware  of,  the vote was rigged and full of fraud. And,
   there were a lot of petitions that were done by different leaders, and
   I   hope   that   they   (Supreme  Court)  will  take  all  that  into
   consideration.  So,  Iâm  assuming  they  are  going  to  make (a fair
   judgment),â he said.

   Several  political  parties, including Guineaâs New Generation for the
   Republic   party,  petitioned  the  court  claiming  the  presidential
   election  was  fraught  with  irregularities and voter intimidation, a
   charge the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) denies.

   International  poll  observer  groups  that  monitored  the  election,
   including  the U.S-based Carter Center, as well as the European Union,
   said the vote was fair despite logistical challenges.

   But,  political  leader  Sylla  said  there  are expectations that the
   Supreme Court will rule using different scenarios in its judgment.

   âThree things they may talk about today; first is that, are they going
   to  stand  (by) the decision as it was given to them (by the electoral
   body)?  Second,  are  they  going  to  eliminate oneâ¦that was already
   prequalified? Third, are they going to annul the election? So, we will
   know the Supreme Courtâs decision,â Sylla said.

   Under  Guineaâs constitution, the Supreme Court is expected to confirm
   the provisional results before the two leading presidential candidates
   will  contest  in the election run-off which, was originally scheduled
   for 18^th July.

   But,  the  court  postponed the run-off vote to allow it to adjudicate
   petitions  of  voter  fraud  claims  by several political parties that
   participated in the first round election.

   Analysts  say the 27^th June vote was the first time Guineaâs National
   Independent  Electoral Commission has organized an election without an
   incumbent candidate.

   Previous  elections  were  judged to have been manipulated in favor of
   the ruling party and incumbent president.

   According  to  the  electoral commission, about 77 percent of Guineaâs
   four million registered voters fully participated in the vote.

   Poll   observers,   who   monitored  the  election,  including  ECOWAS
   observers, applauded the vote in a country analysts say has been ruled
   by  dictators  since it gained independence from colonial power France
   in 1958.

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