By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Guinea’s Supreme Court validated nine candidates including transitional military leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya to contest in the Dec. 28 presidential election, according to a final list released early Thursday.
Gen. Doumbouya presented his candidacy for the presidential poll on Nov. 3, as formal candidature submissions concluded in the capital Conakry.
Others in the race are Faya Lansana Millimouno, leader of the Liberal Bloc, Makale Camara, former foreign minister under ousted President Alpha Conde, and Abdoulaye Balde.
Doumbouya has ruled Guinea since a coup four years ago.
At least 51 candidates had initially submitted their candidacies, including a woman.
Leading figures such as exiled former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo were excluded from the list along with former Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate, and former minister, Ousmane Kaba.
Two of Guinea's biggest opposition parties, the Rally of the People of Guinea (RPG) of former President Conde and Union of Guinean Democratic Forces (UFDG), have also been excluded from the race.
The election is being organized under a new Constitution that gave Doumbouya the green light to run for the presidency.
Doumbouya, 44, seized power in a September 2021 coup after overthrowing President Conde.
The military leaders and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc had agreed on a 24-month transition to elections in October 2022, which was not honored.
Doumbouya, who was elevated to the rank of general in January 2024, had promised to hand over power to civilian leaders by the end of 2024.