The leader of a coup in the West African nation of Guinea won a landslide victory in a presidential election meant to legitimize his rule, according to results on Wednesday. The vote took place more than four years after he seized power and tightened his grip on the country.
The winner, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, who barred his main challengers from taking part in the race, secured more than 80 percent of the vote in the election, which took place on Sunday, according to provisional results from a government-controlled agency he set up to oversee the election.
The election took place after Colonel Doumbouya dissolved the independent body responsible for conducting the election and prevented key opponents from running against him.
At least three opposition figures have publicly conceded defeat, but Abdoulaye Yéro Baldé, who was seen as the strongest among eight candidates allowed to run, said on Wednesday that he was mobilizing a legal team to challenge the results in court. He accused the Doumbouya government of fraud and intimidating voters.
“The margin is really huge,” said Mr. Baldé, who placed second with only 6 percent of the votes, compared to Colonel Doumbouya’s 86 percent share. “It’s not the reality. It’s impossible.”
But results from elections across Africa this year have shown that such margins are, in fact, often the norm amid serious questions about the legitimacy of electoral contests on the continent.
The lopsided vote count for Colonel Doumbouya, 41, a former French Legionnaire married to a French citizen, had been widely anticipated by political analysts. Before the voting took place, he eliminated several key rivals from the race, including Cellou Dalein Diallo, a longtime main opposition figure who had been forced into exile.
But analysts said Colonel Doumbouya, who campaigned on a platform of bringing unity and prosperity to the nation, also enjoyed a certain level of popularity. They said he had raised hopes among many Guineans and had drawn global attention to the country after turning it into a leading exporter of bauxite and moved to get a long-delayed iron ore project off the ground.
Now, Colonel Doumbouya faces the challenge of turning his promises into tangible improvements, particularly for Guinea’s youth as they seek jobs and a stake in the country’s future.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time that a presidential election has taken place without violence in Guinea,” said Abdoulaye Keita, a 27-year-old minibus driver in Matoto, a suburb of Conakry, the capital.
“This proves that everyone supports Mamadi Doumbouya,” Mr. Keita said. “He is the one who will reconcile the Guineans. He is the one who will ensure Guinea’s sovereignty and lift the country out of poverty.”
Abdourahmane Diallo contributed reporting from Conakry, Guinea.
Saikou Jammeh is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Dakar, Senegal.
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