Guinea: UN envoy lauds peaceful conclusion of presidential run-off

The United Nations envoy for West Africa today welcomed the peaceful conclusion of the second round of the presidential election in Guinea, saying the country’s citizens had demonstrated their commitment to democracy by participating in the poll.

“Through their massive mobilization, the people of Guinea have demonstrated their deep commitment to democracy and their willingness to restore constitutional order,” Said Djinnit said in a statement following Sunday’s election.

He urged Guineans to remain calm before and after the results are officially released and encouraged the two candidates – Cellou Dalein Diallo and Alpha Condé – to remain committed to their pre-election pledges to abide by the rules and ensure that peace prevails.

In an interview with the UN News Centre, Mr. Djinnit, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa, said the UN had facilitated efforts by the international community to ensure the success of Guinea’s transition to democracy.

“We have mobilized almost $9.7 million to support the transition in Guinea,” he said, adding that the UN had also provided logistical support for the polls, including providing a helicopter to help the national independent electoral commission (CENI) transport the results from remote areas to the capital, Conakry.

The logistical support provided by the UN will facilitate the collection of poll returns and thus contribute towards easing tensions associated with the announcement of results, Mr. Djinnit added.

The envoy, who just concluded a five-day visit to Guinea, said he plans to go back to Conakry later this week.

“We are going to be available to the two candidates and to the transitional authorities, along with the international community, to do everything possible to keep the situation calm so that the population waits calmly for the provisional results by the electoral commission,” he said.

The presidential election, which includes yesterday’s run-off poll and the first round of voting held in June, was the final stage of the interim Government’s efforts to restore democracy after Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power in a coup in 2008 following the death of long-time president Lansana Conté.