Guinea’s President Alpha Conde on Wednesday said he would be the candidate of young people and women in October’s election, reported Reuters.
“We can’t do anything in Guinea without women. I will be the candidate of young people and women,” Conde told a video conference of female political activists on Wednesday.
Mr. Conde hailed women as important pillars in the society. The 82-year-old, who is running for a controversial third term that has sparked protests, said he was the best choice for the two groups.
Notably, under Guinea’s constitution, presidents may only serve two terms. In 2010 and re-elected in 2015, Conde pushed through an amendment to the constitution that was approved by a referendum in March. The constitutional change reset the president’s term, enabling him to run for a third term in the vote set for October 18 in the poor West African state of 13 million.
His candidacy has drawn criticism from his opponents who claim he is violating term limits. They accuse him of cracking down on dissent and follow the footsteps of other African leaders who have amended constitution to continue being in power.
They have called for a fresh round of protests after the ruling party nominated Conde for the upcoming election. Widespread protests against Conde’s third term have killed at least 30 people over the past year.
Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara is also seeking a third term in October, relying on a recent change to that country’s constitution.
Conde’s supporters claim that their leader needs more time in office to pursue his agenda of modernizing and developing Guinea, Africa’s largest producer of the main aluminium ore, bauxite.
On Tuesday, France’s foreign ministry said it was concerned about possible violence during the election in Guinea, but stopped short of criticizing Conde’s decision to run for the third time.
