Guineans reacted with shock after it was announced that presidential candidates would have to pay a deposit of 875 million Guinean francs ($100,000, £75,000) to run in December elections. Military leaders must hand over power to civilians.
Guinea has been under military rule since Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 coup.
The election is being held under a new constitution that allows Doumbouya to run for president. But he hasn’t announced his plans.
Previous deposits amounted to nearly 800 million francs, but some analysts had hoped the deposits would be reduced to encourage more people to participate in this historic election.
“This amount is huge,” political analyst Kabinet Fofana told the BBC. “This decision comes amid growing criticism of the overall direction of the election.”
Candidates who receive more than 5% of the votes in the first round will receive their deposits back.
Authorities say large amounts of money are needed to ensure that only credible candidates participate.
But presidential candidate Faya Millimono said deposits were much lower.
“Until 2005, the deposits had never exceeded 50 million (Guinean francs). The frenzy began in 2010, when it was thought necessary to block certain candidates. The amount increased from 50 million to 400 million, and today we are talking about about 900 million.”
cost of participation in elections These are some of the highest in the area.
In 2022, Nigeria’s Electoral Commission set the fee at 100 million naira ($67,000 at current exchange rates, or more than $200,000 at the time), sparking widespread criticism.
In Cameroon the deposit is $53,000 and in Ivory Coast it is $90,000.
The electoral body also set a limit on election spending per candidate at 40 billion guinea francs ($4.6 million, 3.5 million pounds).
One candidate believes that these amounts “send a clear signal: only the very wealthy or those who have already benefited from the country’s resources can truly compete.”
To date, about 50 political party candidates and 16 independent candidates have been approved.
The largest opposition parties, the People’s Union of Guinea (RPG Arc-en-Ciel), led by former President Alpha Condé, and the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), led by former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, are not included in the provisional list, but there is still time to register.
Guinea faces elections without Condé and Diallo, who were ousted by Doumbouya, and former Prime Minister Sidya Touré of the United Republican Party (UFR).
All three leaders currently live abroad.
