Guinea’s partial results show President Conde ahead in vote

The Independent National Electoral commission has released results from more than 75 percent of votes counted by Friday, adding more districts by the evening that show Conde ahead by 2 million votes, making it likely he will remain in office.

At a press conference also attended by the six other candidates challenging incumbent President Alpha Conde, Diallo said, “we can not accept this ballot, we request it be annulled”.

Guinea’s main opposition candidate removed himself from the electoral process on Wednesday, his party said, days after the country’s second democratic presidential election in more than 50 years. Earlier in the day he had about 30 percent of the vote.

Final results are expected later Saturday, and will include the vote tally from an opposition stronghold.

It was not immediately clear what Diallo’s withdrawal would mean if the election goes to a second round run-off.

Guinea has a history of political violence linked to ethnic tensions and several people have been killed in election-related clashes.

European Union observers gave Guinea’s presidential elections a clean bill of health on Tuesday despite protests by opposition supporters.

Fearing more turmoil in the country, global Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has said she was following the situation “closely” and warned that anyone encouraging crimes could face prosecution.

Conde spent almost three decades in exile in France, where he led opposition to Guinea’s dictatorial first president after independence from France, Ahmed Sekou Toure.