Guinea votes in first polls since 2021 coup, military leader likely to win

Mamady Doumbouya may win amid accusations of restrictions on the media and the opposition parties.Published On 28 Dec 2025Guinea is holding a presidential election in which incumbent military leader General Mamady Doumbouya, who took power in a 2021 coup, is widely anticipated to secure victory.Some 6.7 million registered voters will go to the polls, which opened at 07:00 GMT on Sunday and will close at 18:00 GMT.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Guinea military government leader enters presidential racelist 2 of 4Guinea voters endorse post-coup constitution, partial results showlist 3 of 4Four years on, did Mali’s coup start a trend that changed the region?list 4 of 4Guinea military rulers suspend three opposition parties before referendumend of listThe former special forces commander, aged 41, faces eight other candidates in the election, as ousted President Alpha Conde and longtime opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo remain in exile.The opposition has called for a boycott of the vote in the mineral-rich country where 52 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to World Bank figures.While long blighted by coups, Guinea experienced a democratic transition with the November 2010 election of Alpha Conde, the country’s first freely elected president. Doumbouya overthrew him in September 2021.Officials set up a ballot box at a polling station in Conakry [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]Under Doumbouya, Guinea effectively “reverted to what it has essentially known since independence in 1958: authoritarian regimes, whether civilian or military”, Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi, told the AFP news agency.Provisional results could be announced within two days, according to Djenabou Toure, head of the General Directorate of Elections.Restrictions on oppositionPolitical debate has been muted under Doumbouya. Civil society groups accuse his government of banning protests, curbing press freedom and restricting opposition activity.