Gambiaj.com – (CONAKRY, Guinea) – Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo has firmly rejected Guinea’s planned constitutional referendum, scheduled for 21 September, describing it as a ploy by the ruling junta to prolong its stay in power.
Speaking in an interview with France 24’s “En tête-à-tête,” the president of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) accused transitional leader General Mamadi Doumbouya of betraying the commitments he made when seizing power on 5 September 2021.
“This referendum is nothing but a second coup d’état designed to maintain Mamadi Doumbouya in power,” Diallo declared. “The Forces vives de Guinée have consistently opposed the junta once we realized its governance contradicted both its initial pledges and the Transition Charter.”
The UFDG leader stressed that the Transition Charter—drafted unilaterally by the ruling National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (CNRD)—guaranteed fundamental freedoms and explicitly barred the transitional leader from contesting future elections.
“That was the foundation of his popular support. But once he reneged on this commitment, the trust between him and the people was broken,” Diallo said.
Diallo further cast doubt on the credibility of the upcoming vote, arguing that it is being organised entirely by the junta and its military appointees. “There is no chance it will reflect the people’s real will. In a country where electoral fraud is deeply rooted, transparency cannot be guaranteed,” he added.
Linking his stance to his past struggle against Alpha Condé’s controversial third term, Diallo said his objective remains unchanged: “the return to constitutional order.” He also pointed to the exile of political figures like himself, Alpha Condé, and Sidya Touré as evidence of Guinea’s shrinking democratic space.
Meanwhile, Guinea’s political landscape shifted this week with the lifting of suspensions on three parties.
The Director-General of Elections announced Wednesday that the Union of Republican Forces (UFR) of Sidya Touré, the PDG-RDA of Mohamed Touré, and the PUP of Fodé Bangoura are now reinstated after fulfilling requirements to hold congresses.
“The UFR is no longer suspended. It is among the 125 parties authorised to operate in Guinea,” the electoral chief clarified, emphasising that the parties had been given an additional 45 days beyond their 90-day suspension to regularise their status.
Despite this development, the UFDG of Diallo and the RPG Arc-en-ciel of ex-president Alpha Condé remain suspended, leaving two of Guinea’s most influential political forces sidelined ahead of a highly contested referendum.
