The elections in Guinea Conakry are scheduled for June 27th of this year.
President of the West Africa Media Forum (WAMF), Mr. Chernoh Alpha M. Bah has expressed serious concerns over the political situation in Guinea Conakry.
In an open letter addressed to the ECOWAS Secretariat on Monday April 10, Mr. Bah called on regional leaders to take measures that will prevent the outbreak of an ethnic crisis in Guinea.
“Regional leaders and all those concerned with resolving the political situation in Guinea must take responsible measures to prevent the outbreak of an ethnic crisis in Guinea,” Mr. Bah said, adding that the nature of the electoral campaign in the country is a recipe for genocide if proactive mechanisms are not adopted to correct the ethnic animosity that is being created by leaders of political parties contesting the elections.
Mr. Bah says the middle class political elites are deliberately dividing the masses along ethnic blocs thereby nurturing the potential for a deadly post-election violence in the event that the selfish interest of corrupt politicians are not fulfilled by the votes.
“Leading members of the middle class political elites have deliberately fragmented the population into untenable ethnic factions in anticipation of a post-election violence if the elections results does not fulfill their own desires,” Mr. Bah says while pointing out that “all major parties contesting the elections in Guinea are based on absolute ethnic lines and are all guilty of infusing a divisive tribal mentality among their supporters.”
He says the situation in Guinea is a cause for serious concern and all those involved in resolving the current political situation in that country will be held responsible if they fail to prevent the outbreak of a deadly ethnic crisis in the event that elections are disputed.
Mr. Bah, also, accused leading presidential candidates in the upcoming elections of having participated in the process of undermining economic development in Guinea.
“All the leading candidates in the upcoming presidential elections in Guinea had played significant roles in the deterrence of economic growth and development in the country and were all leading players in the ancient regime of General Lansana Conte,” he said, adding that, “under normal circumstances these individuals should not be granted the opportunity of contesting for any public office in the country because of their absolute involvement in a political syndicate that corrupted every facet of the social and political life of the country.”
Mr. Bah concluded by calling for an immediate assessment of the election process in Guinea and for an evaluation of the conduct and activities of political party candidates ahead of the elections.
“We are hereby calling for an immediate assessment of the entire electoral process in Guinea and for a comprehensive independent evaluation and investigation of the conduct and activities of political candidates before the elections,” he said, adding that, “it will be a serious and costly mistake to allow the elections process to continue without any serious assessment of the possible hindrance it will have on the unity and peaceful existence of the people of Guinea.”
For a full copy of the letter and more information contact:
West Africa Media Forum. Email: wamf-media@yahoo.com. Tel: +234-812-407-9858. Lagos, Nigeria
