Guineans set to vote in tense presidential election on Sunday

Voters in Guinea will head to the polls today to elect the country’s next president, in a tense election that comes after months of deadly unrest.

Nearly five million voters are eligible to cast ballots in the presidential contest that pits incumbent Alpha Conde against 11 challengers, most notably former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo.

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Conde, 82, is seeking a controversial third term after pushing through a revamped constitution earlier this year that critics denounced as a plot to sidestep a two-term limit on presidential mandates.

The new constitution was overwhelmingly supported by voters in a March 22 referendum that was boycotted by Conde’s political rivals and civil society organisations.

The result means Conde could potentially now remain the country’s president for 12 more years.

Diallo, 68, was at the forefront of mass demonstrations against the proposed changes, which were met with a harsh crackdown by security forces.