Guineans are expressing alarm after authorities announced that presidential hopefuls must pay 875 million francs ($100,000) to participate in December’s elections, marking a steep barrier as the country prepares to transition from military to civilian rule. Guinea has been under the leadership of Colonel Mamady Doumbouya since his 2021 coup.
The vote will take place under a new constitution that allows Doumbouya to run, though he has not confirmed whether he intends to stand.
Previously, the deposit was slightly lower at 800 million francs, and observers had hoped it would decrease to encourage wider participation. Political analyst Kabinet Fofana told the BBC, "This amount is huge. This decision adds to the growing criticism against the general direction of elections." Candidates achieving more than 5% of votes in the first round will have their deposits refunded.
Officials argue that the high fee ensures only serious and credible candidates enter the race. Presidential contender Faya Millimono criticized the escalation, noting, "Until 2005, the deposit never exceeded 50 million [Guinean francs]. The madness began in 2010, when it was thought necessary to block certain candidates. The amount went from 50 million to 400 million, and today we're talking about 900 million."
Guinea now has one of the highest election costs in the region. By comparison, Nigeria’s 2022 deposit was 100 million naira ($67,000), Cameroon’s is $53,000, and Ivory Coast’s is $90,000. In addition, Guinea’s electoral commission has set a campaign spending limit of 40 billion francs ($4.6 million) per candidate. One participant said the rules "send a clear signal – only the very wealthy or those who have already benefited from state resources can truly compete."
So far, authorities have approved around 50 candidates from political parties and 16 independent aspirants.
Leading opposition figures, including former President Alpha Condé of the Rally of the People of Guinea (RPG Arc-en-Ciel), former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), and former Prime Minister Sidya Touré of the Union of Republican Forces (UFR), have not yet registered but still have time to enter the race.
All three remain abroad, meaning Guinea is set to hold its next election without some of its most prominent political leaders.
