Preliminary voting results from Guinea’s recently held presidential election show President Alpha Conde retaining the lead and beating his challengers in 14 constituencies out of 20 that have been announced by the electoral commission, reported Reuters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Conde appealed for calm after deadly clashes between opposition supporters and police.
Guinea’s Security Minister Damantang Albert Camara said at least thirteen people were killed, including two police officers, and many injured when supporters of Conde’s main rival Cellou Dalein Diallo came out on the streets in some neighborhoods of Conakry.
He revealed that there were also clashes in opposition strongholds outside the capital. Two people died in Kissidougou, a city in the southeast of Guinea, about 700 km (435 miles) from Conakry.
“I reiterate my appeal to all to calm and serenity, pending the outcome of the electoral process underway in our country,” Conde appealed to the people. “If victory is mine, I remain open to dialogue and available to work with all Guineans.”
According to the electoral commission’s official tally released on Wednesday, Diallo carried six of the constituencies announced so far.
Conde’s push for a third term for Conde, 82, has sparked repeated protests over the past year, resulting in a number of deaths.
In March, the 82-year-old Conde pushed through a new constitution that he argued would modernize the country. It also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents. The opposition claims he is breaking the law by holding on to power.
While opposition supporters are suspicious about the fairness of the poll, the government insists that it was fair. International observers and monitors from the African Union and the 15-nation West African bloc ECOWAS both said that Guinea’s election was mostly fair.
In total, twelve candidates are vying for the presidency, but Conde and Diallo are the frontrunners.
