The military heads behind last week’s coup that removed Guinea’s President Alpha Conde have begun a week-long consultation with political, religious and business leaders that they assert will cause the formation of a transitional government.
The dialogue on Tuesday is predicted to get out the framework of a promised government of national unity that might lead Guinea back to constitutional order. it’s expected to define the duration of the transition, what political and institutional reforms are needed before elections, and who will lead the transition.
The meeting with the leaders of the most political parties are going to be followed by talks with representatives of regional governments, then religious organisations.
Civil society groups, diplomatic missions, heads of mining companies and business leaders also are scheduled for meetings with the coup leaders throughout the week.
We are getting to return to our respective staffs and alliances to undertake to formulate in writing our vision, our proposals that we’ll undergo the new authorities,” main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, who ran unsuccessfully against Conde 3 times in successive presidential elections, said following the session.
However, proceedings were marred by a chaotic and crowded registration process which took up much of the allotted discussion time, Reuters press agency reported. Some smaller political parties were unable to urge access.
The September 5 coup, led by Guinea’s Special Forces and helmed by Mamady Doumbouya, has been condemned by Guinea’s partners and regional bodies.
West Africa’s main political and economic bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which suspended Guinea from its deciding bodies, has involved a brief , civilian-led transition.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Conakry, likened things within the capital to a “wait-and-see game”.
“People expected faster developments with the military government … to chart a transitional course … but after 10 days, nothing went on ,” he said.
Idris said the military was finding itself during a “tight spot” because it keeps Conde detained despite calls by the international community to release him.
This is a person who still features a significant number of followers during this country,” he said.
In a televised statement on Monday evening, the coup leaders announced they might be reopening all of the nation’s land borders starting Wednesday.
Some had been shut after the coup, while other borders had been closed, officially for security reasons, before elections last year during a move that had caused diplomatic tensions with neighbouring countries.
