Alpha Conde ahead in early results of Guinean election

Guinea’s octogenarian president, Alpha Conde, is leading other rivals in early results declared by the nation’s electoral commission.

So far he has won four electoral districts in Sunday’s presidential vote.

He won three districts in the capital, Conakry, scoring over 50% of the vote in two of the districts.

He also won Boffa district north of the capital with over 56%, the preliminary results showed.

Conde’s main rival, Cellou Dalein Diallo, who said on Monday he had won the election, sparking violence with at least four killed, came second in all of the districts, according to the results by the commission.

Diallo’s victory claim before the official count was completed by the electoral commission raised concerns it could escalate violence in the tense aftermath of the vote.

Following his announcement, Diallo’s supporters swept into the streets in his strongholds, celebrating their alleged victory. This led to clashes with security forces in which three people were killed, Diallo said.

The Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations condemned Diallo’s claim in a joint statement late on Monday, calling it “regrettable”.

The decision by 82-year-old Conde to seek a third mandate after he pushed through a constitutional referendum that reset the clock on a term-limit triggered violent unrest over the past year in which at least 50 people were killed in the bauxite-rich nation, according to rights groups.