Ending the political stalemate in Guinea?

If the political consensus survives Guinea may finally enjoy political stability and years of violent crises may come to an end.

In Guinea the parliamentary elections that were expected to round off the democratic transition process that started in 2008 were scheduled for June 30, 2013. However, in the run-up to that date, the country descended into a political crisis marked by violence and disagreement between the opposition and government over the organization of those elections.

This report analyses the current crisis in Guinea based on information collected during field research conducted from 13 to 23 May 2013 in Conakry on the issue of the political transition. To better understand the complexity of the current crisis, the report is divided into four main sections. The first section reflects on the effects of the 2010 presidential elections, which continue to influence the socio-political landscape of Guinea. The second section examines the contentious issues that are making a comprehensive dialogue to define a new political consensus difficult to achieve. The third section seeks to explore the deep causes of the crisis by posing the question of whether disputes over voter registration and the use of the consulting firm Waymark to assist in running the elections are the fundamental causes of the dispute. The final section highlights the risks this crisis poses to the democratization process in Guinea in order to proffer recommendations.

Authors: David Zounmenou and Paulin Maurice Toupane