Mamady Doumbouya, the head of Guinea's junta, was elected president after securing 86.72% of the first-round vote, according to the country's election commission on Tuesday. The election occurred despite Doumbouya's earlier pledge not to run for office after seizing power in a 2021 coup.
Doumbouya, 41, ran against eight other candidates, but key opposition leaders were barred from participating and had called for a boycott of the election held over the weekend. Their exclusion and boycott call followed Doumbouya's reneging on his promise to transition the country back to civilian rule by the end of 2024. The election commission's announcement indicated that Doumbouya surpassed the threshold required to avoid a runoff vote.
Doumbouya led a coup in 2021 that ousted Guinea's first freely elected president. Since then, critics allege his government has cracked down on civil liberties. His decision to stand in the election was seen by many as a reversal of his commitment to restore civilian governance in the mineral-rich West African nation.
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