Guinea: President Conde, 82, To Run For 3rd Term

Guinea’s President Alpha Conde will seek a third term in office, the country’s ruling party said on Monday.

This possibility had already sparked deadly mass protests.

The news came after the 82-year-old pushed through a constitutional reform in March that critics had already argued was designed to allow him to run for office again in the October 18 election.

A statement from the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), read out on televsion, said “President Alpha Conde will indeed be our candidate in the presidential election.”

The RPG had formally nominated him to run again back in August, but the president had made no formal response.

Guinea’s constitution approves presidents to only serve two terms in office. Conde was elected president in 2010 and again in 2015.

Analysts, however, says the new constitution could reset the presidential term counter and enable him to run a third time; a view now confirmed by the ruling party.