Incumbent Alpha Conde has won Guinea’s disputed presidential election with 59.5 percent of the vote to secure a controversial third term, according to a full preliminary tally from the election commission.
The announcement on Saturday came after days of deadly violence in the wake of the October 18 vote. The opposition says 27 people have been killed, while officials have put the death toll at about 10, Aljazeera.
The victory, which requires confirmation by the Constitutional Court, gives a third term in office to the 82-year-old after a bitterly fought election in which the opposition said he had no right to participate.
Conde says a constitutional referendum in March reset his two-term limit, but opponents say he is breaking the law by holding on to power.
Results were announced in batches in recent days and already showed Conde with an unassailable lead, sparking street protests in opposition strongholds. On Friday, the internet and international calling were cut off across Guinea.
Opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo, Conde’s nearest rival with 33.5 percent of the vote, said he has evidence of fraud and plans to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court.
