• Guinea provisional results show Doumbouya wins presidency with 86.72%

• Opposition boycott clears first-round victory, Supreme Court validation pending

• Seven-year term looms as Doumbouya consolidates power after 2021 coup

Provisional results released on Tuesday by Guinea’s electoral commission (DGE) show interim President Mamadi Doumbouya winning the presidential election with 86.72% of the vote. The outcome was widely expected after the main opposition parties boycotted Sunday’s poll.

Doumbouya, an army general who came to power in a September 2021 coup, has further consolidated his grip on power. He had initially said he would not run in the election, which was intended to bring an end to the post-coup transition period. By securing a majority in the first round, he avoids a runoff.

The results must now be validated by the Supreme Court, which has eight days to rule on any challenges and issue a final decision.

The DGE put voter turnout at 80.95%. Faya Lansana Millimono, the candidate of the Liberal Bloc, alleged irregularities in the voting process, citing what he described as “fraudulent practices.”

“The first round of the presidential election was conducted in accordance with constitutional principles, the provisions of the Electoral Code and Guinea’s international commitments on democracy and electoral governance,” DGE Director Djénabou Touré told local media on Tuesday evening.

If his victory is confirmed, Doumbouya will secure a seven-year first term under a constitution adopted by referendum and signed into law by him in September.

He faces significant economic challenges in a country where 52% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. Guinea has vast mining potential that could drive more inclusive growth.

After decades of delays, Doumbouya oversaw the start of development at the Simandou deposit, the world’s largest untapped iron ore reserve. Guinea is also the world’s leading exporter of bauxite and is seeking to process the mineral locally, building alumina refineries to boost mining revenues and create jobs.

Emiliano Tossou