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Guinea Page |
Welcome to ElectionInfo.com's pages on Guinea
Official Name: Republic of Guinea
Capital: Conakry
Area: 245,860 square kilometres (94,927 square miles)
Major cities (Population): Conakry 1,508,000 (1995)
Population: 6,700,000 (1995 estimate)
Population growth rate: 3 per cent (1990-1995 average)
Type of government: Republic
Independence: 2 October 1958 (from France)
Constitution: 23 December 1990
Voting Rights: Universal at age 18
Government
Under the new Guinean constitution, both the president, who is head of state and head of government, and the legislature are elected.
Recent History
Guinea became a French protectorate in 1849, a colony in 1890, and part of French West Africa in 1895. Under French rule, private ownership of communal land grew and a commercially minded urban elite evolved who adopted the French language and culture. After World War II, several political parties were established, including the Parti Démocratique de Guinée (PDG), led by Ahmed Sékou Touré. In 1958 the PDG organized support to vote against Charles de Gaulle’s proposed new French constitution—the Fifth French Republic—and then declared independence. Guinea was the only French colony to vote against the issue. Thus, unlike other French-colonized African states, it suffered from the withdrawal of aid from France. Shunned by other Western nations as well, Guinea had to survive in relative isolation, and developed a strong national identity.
Touré, once loved by the people, ran a dictatorial one-party state. Several coups were attempted, all of which failed. After Touré’s death in 1984, the military took control of the government and established the Second Guinean Republic under Lansana Conté. In 1990 a committee was established to oversee Guinea’s transition to a multi-party system. A constitution that provided for a democratic government was drafted and accepted in 1991. Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in late 1993. Lansana Conté was elected president.
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