Opposition leaders in Guinea have roundly condemned the announcement by the leader of the military junta that they would press for a 39-month transition period to civilian rule. The party of the ousted president Alpha Conde and opposition groups that had opposed him united in denouncing the decision on Sunday. Their statements came as UN chief Antonio Guterres called on the military junta in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali to hand power back to civilians as soon as possible.
Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, head of the military government that took power in September, told state television late on Saturday that after political consultations he was considering a transition of 39 months, the first time he has proposed a timeline. A day earlier, the army-dominated government had said the forum considering the issue had considered a transition period of between 18 and 52 months. Doumbouya said the period he had opted for was the “median proposal” But the influential FNDC coalition, which includes some 20 political groups, said in a statement that choice had no legal basis and was “inadmissible, inconceivable and unacceptable”.
It added: “The attitude of the authorities constitutes a threat to peace and national unity.” The FNDC, which staged huge protests against Conde before he was overthrown, also argued it ignored widespread calls for an inclusive dialogue under the supervision of the international community. Conde’s former party the Rally of the People of Guinea (RPG) also rejected the decision. It too called for an inclusive dialogue under the mediation of the international community to fix a “consensual” calendar.
Doumbouya said Saturday his decision had been reached after an inclusive consultation process, but it was boycotted by several prominent political groups who disputed its legitimacy. They had agreed on the need to keep talking to the de facto authorities in all three countries so as to get a swift return to “constitutional order”, he said.
Source: Aljazeera
