Guinean opposition rejects new CENI chairman

20 Mai 2020

Conakry, Guinea, May 20 (Infosplusgabon)  - The Guinean political opposition Tuesday rejected the recent nomination of lawyer Mamadi 3 Kaba as chairman of the national independent electoral commission (CENI), an official statement issued here said.

Kaba replaces Amadou Salif Kébé who died of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.

Member of the civil society, the successor to Kébé was nominated early this month as chief of staff of the new speaker of parliament, Amadou Damaro Camara.

His nomination as CENI chairman occurred days later following a decree by President Alpha Condé.

According to the opponents of the government of Condé, the nomination of Kaba at the CENI violates Article 11 of Law 044 of 5 June 2018 on CENI and the ruling of the Constitutional Court of 4 May certifying the vacancy of the position.

The opposition said that in this ruling, the court indicated that it was the bar, to which the late CENI president belonged, that must appoint the commissioner to succeed him.

The new CENI chairman was appointed by the Guinean national Council of Civil Society Organisations (CNOSCG).

The political opposition “denounces and strongly rejects” the nomination of Mamady 3 KABA to the post of CENI chairman.

Article 11 of the Law no. 44 of 5 June 2018 governing organisation, attributions and functioning of CENI stipulates that, in case of vacancy, consecutive to the death, resignation or any other cause of definitive impeachment of a commissioner certified by the Constitutional Court approved by the CENI board, “his replacement is undertaken in the same conditions as those of his resignation for the rest of the ongoing mandate”.

The opposition said that the integrity, impartiality and good morality of the representative of the civil society were capital for the independence and neutrality of a political and parity CENI, just like that of Guinea.

The presidential majority and the opposition have each seven representatives within CENI, while civil society has two.

“In any case, Mr KABA is a well-known militant of the ruling Rally of the Guinean people (RPG) which he remained key defender in the public debate. It is in this respect that he played active role in the referendum and the third term of President Condé, as well as the illegal and arbitrary destitution of the former chairman of the Constitutional Court, late Kéléfa SALL,” said the statement.

As a result, the opposition has called for the replacement of Kaba by a lawyer appointed by the bar.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/ERD/GABON2020

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