Guinean opposition vow street protests as President Condé goes for third term

Opposition parties in Guinea on Tuesday announced the restart of protests against a third term for President Alpha Condé, following the announcement of his candidacy by his party for polls expect on 18 October.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), a collective of political parties, trade unions and members of civil society, said in a statement on Tuesday that their movement against Condé third term had reached a “decisive phase”, AFP news agency reported.

Condé's party, the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), said on Monday that the 82-year-old Guinean leader had accepted the party's nomination for the October elections.

The FNDC called Condé a “ferocious dictator”, describing a potential third term in office as “illegitimate” and criticising the “cowardly” way the announcement was made, according to a communiqué shared on social media.

The opposition movement urged people to prepare themselves for up and coming demonstrations for which a date would soon be announced.

The FNDC has already staged several mass demonstrations against Condé's bid for a third term, including the constitutional reform which enabled him standing. Protests previously faced a crackdown by Guinea security forces with dozens of people killed.

Condé enacted a new constitution in April following a referendum on changes to the text that was overwhelming backed by voters.

The constitution has a two term limit, however, supporters of the incumbent president argue that putting in place a new constitution effectively resets the counter, enabling him to stand for a third term.

Condé was originally elected in 2010, becoming the country's first democratically elected president after decades of authoritarian regimes. He was re-elected in 2015 and his opponents accuse him of a slide into authoritarianism.