Mamady Doumbouya, the head of Guinea's junta, was elected president after securing a majority of the vote, according to the country's electoral commission on Tuesday. Doumbouya, who initially pledged not to run for office after seizing power in a 2021 coup, garnered 86.72% of the first-round vote, surpassing the threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
The election saw Doumbouya face eight rivals, but key opposition leaders were barred from participating and had called for a boycott of the vote held over the weekend. The decision by Doumbouya to stand in the election marked a reversal of his earlier commitment to return the country to civilian rule by the end of 2024.
Doumbouya led a coup in 2021 that ousted Guinea's first freely elected president. Since then, his leadership has been marked by a crackdown on civil liberties, raising concerns among international observers.
The election commission's announcement followed a period of political uncertainty in the mineral-rich West African nation. The barring of opposition leaders from running and their subsequent call for a boycott raised questions about the fairness and inclusivity of the electoral process.
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