Guineans have expressed concern following the announcement that presidential candidates must pay a deposit of 875 million Guinean francs (approximately $100,000 or £75,000) to participate in the upcoming elections scheduled for December. These elections come after a period of military rule, which began when Colonel Mamady Doumbouya took power in a coup in 2021.
The elections will be conducted under a new constitution, which has enabled Doumbouya to potentially run for president, although he has yet to declare his intentions. Although the required deposit is slightly higher than the previous amount of 800 million francs, some analysts anticipated a reduction to motivate increased candidacy in these pivotal elections. Political analyst Kabinet Fofana highlighted the substantial nature of the deposit, indicating it has raised further concerns about the electoral process.
Candidates who secure more than 5% of the vote in the first round will have their deposit returned. The electoral authorities justify the high entry fee as a measure to ensure only credible candidates participate. However, candidate Faya Millimono argued that the deposit had historically been much lower, noting its increase from 50 million francs before 2005 to the present amount.
Participation costs in Guinea’s elections are among the highest in the region. For comparison, the Nigerian electoral commission established a fee of 100 million naira (around $67,000 currently), while deposit requirements in Cameroon and Ivory Coast are significantly lower at $53,000 and $90,000, respectively.
In addition to the deposit, a campaign spending limit of 40 billion Guinean francs ($4.6 million) has also been set per candidate. Concerns have been voiced that such financial barriers may limit competition to wealthier individuals who have access to state resources. Currently, around 50 candidates from political parties and 16 independent candidates have received approval to run, but significant opposition parties, such as the Rally of the People of Guinea and the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea, are not yet included on the provisional list. Both former President Alpha Condé and former Prime Ministers Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Touré are currently residing outside of Guinea.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjekwp5xw12o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss