CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s Constitutional Council, the West African nation’s highest judicial body, on Wednesday cleared President Alpha Conde’s bid to seek a third term in the Oct. 18 presidential election.
The council also approved 11 other candidates including Conde’s main opposition challenger, Cellou Dalein Diallo.
Octogenarian Conde was first elected in 2010, and was re-elected in 2015. He pushed a constitutional amendment in March which allowed him to stand again and potentially extend his rule, despite protests from the opposition.
At least 30 people have been killed during demonstrations against the constitutional change over the past year, before and after a March referendum.
(Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
