Gambiaj.com – (CONAKRY, Guinea) – Monday, November 3, marks the final day for submitting candidacies to Guinea’s Supreme Court for the upcoming presidential election scheduled on December 28, but the race remains wide open and uncertain as the country’s main political heavyweights remain on the sidelines.
So far, only four politicians, Ousmane Kaba, Amadou Thierno Diallo, Lansana Kouyaté, and Ben Youssouf Keita, have formally submitted their applications.
All are former ministers or experienced political figures, but none command the national clout of the country’s major party leaders.
Faya Millimono, leader of the Liberal Bloc, announced plans to file his documents before the day’s deadline, while Ousmane Bah of the Union for Progress and Renewal (UPR) has yet to clarify whether he will contest.
Most of these figures have performed modestly in past elections, and none are expected to significantly shift the political landscape on their own.
Meanwhile, the political giants, Cellou Dalein Diallo’s Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), former President Alpha Condé’s Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), and Sidya Touré’s Union of Republican Forces (UFR), have opted out of the race altogether.
Their leaders are either in exile or disqualified by new eligibility rules, notably the 80-year age cap introduced under the transitional government.
As a result, the December 28 election is shaping up to be one dominated by smaller parties and relative outsiders, unless one major figure enters the race: transitional leader General Mamadi Doumbouya.
Although he has yet to announce his intentions, Doumbouya’s silence has done little to dispel speculation.
Over recent weeks, several government appointees and close allies have repeatedly urged him to continue his “mission of reform” and ensure “continuity,” a clear sign to many that his candidacy may be imminent.
Independent aspirants, meanwhile, have largely failed to meet the requirement of securing at least 100 endorsements, further narrowing the field.
The Supreme Court has until November 13 to validate the final list of candidates, setting the stage for what could become a tightly controlled electoral process with limited opposition participation.
