Guinea’s Director General of Elections, Djenabou Touré, announced that 50 political parties and 16 independent candidates have officially declared their intention to run in the upcoming presidential election — a development that underscores the intensifying competition for the presidency in a country undergoing a delicate transitional phase.
Speaking at a press conference, Touré explained that the electoral process is overseen by two special committees operating under the supervision of the National Oversight Authority, the Supreme Court, and the Directorate General of Elections.
She added that the two committees have two main responsibilities: verifying the validity of candidate endorsements and determining the required financial deposit and campaign spending limits.
Touré emphasized that the financial deposit “is not an obstacle but a commitment,” explaining that it is calculated based on the cost of printing ballot papers. Candidates who receive more than 5% of the votes will have their deposit refunded, while the contributions of others will go toward supporting the national budget.
On the political front, 50 parties have declared their participation, including the Progressive Party of Guinea, the Liberal Bloc, the Reform Party, and the Union for Democracy.
As for independent candidates, 16 individuals have entered the race, among them Dr. Ben Youssouf Keita, Robert Tia, and Souleymane Bangoura, in addition to a controversial figure who introduced himself as “Alpha Condé II.”
Touré considered this high number of candidacies a reflection of “the desire to restore a pluralistic constitutional order,” stressing that adherence to the legal stages — from endorsements to financial guarantees and spending limits — represents “a true test of democratic maturity in the country.”