GUINEA: Poll leader Cellou Diallo says next leadership must show commitment to rules and re-negotiate resource deals

Record ID: 1519459

  • Title: GUINEA: Poll leader Cellou Diallo says next leadership must show commitment to rules and re-negotiate resource deals
  • Date: 12th July 2010
  • Summary: CONAKRY, GUINEA (JULY 11, 2010) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF CAMPAIGN POSTERS FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ALPHA CONDE AND CELLOU DALEIN DIALLO CLOSER VIEW OF BILLBOARD FOR DIALLO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BILLBOARD, WITH IMAGE OF SOCCER BALL WIDE VIEW OF ANOTHER BILLBOARD AS PEDESTRIAN WALKS PAST CONAKRY, GUINEA (JULY 10, 2010) (REUTERS) LEADER OF GUINEA'S UNION OF DEMOCRATIC FORCES AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE CELLOU DALEIN DIALLO, WHO CAME FIRST IN FIRST ROUND OF VOTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) CELLOU DALEIN DIALLO, GUINEA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING "The mining sector is vital to our country and, if handled properly as the Guinean people expect, it could turn Guinea into an emerging country very quickly." CONAKRY, GUINEA (RECENT) (REUTERS) TRAIN CONTAINING BAUXITE MOVING ON TRACKS CONAKRY, GUINEA (JULY 10, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) CELLOU DALEIN DIALLO, GUINEA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING "We shall to try to modify them (the contracts) if necessary to ensure Guinea's interests are taken into account. Only if talks break down would we take measures such as cancelling them, we'll cancel nothing from the start." CONAKRY, GUINEA (RECENT) (REUTERS) CROWDS GATHERED IN STREET IN SUPPORT OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SIDYA TOURE VARIOUS OF SECURITY FORCES DISPERSING SUPPORTERS OF TOURE, WHO CAME THIRD AS PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST WHAT THEY SAY WERE FRAUDULENT RESULTS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS CONAKRY, GUINEA (JULY 10, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Soussou) INFAMY TRAORE, ELECTRICIAN, SAYING "Guineans are worried about a single thing: these protests flowing in from candidates saying they had their victory stolen, and who appealed to the Supreme Court. People are really worried about this because they don't want to see political party supporters launching themselves in violent protests and taking to the streets as they did after the first round. We don't want to see that in the second tour." VARIOUS OF STREET SCENES, PEOPLE SITTING IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSES IN STREET ELECTRICIAN MOHAMED AHMED CAMARA, DRINKING TEA (SOUNDBITE) (Soussou) MOHAMED AHMED CAMARA, ELECTRICIAN, SAYING: "It would be good if in the second round our leaders could do something to guarantee the peace. Even, if necessary, they have to resort to a new way of voting, to allow us to have calm and so that Guineans don't fight against each other because we're all brothers." STREET MARKET SCENES CLOSEUP OF COCONUTS MAN SELLING COCONUTS CONAKRY, GUINEA (RECENT) (REUTERS) BILLBOARDS FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SIDYA TOURE CONAKRY, GUINEA (JULY 10, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) CELLOU DALEIN DIALLO, GUINEA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING: "I am seeking his backing for the second round because in my estimation, I would have no problem working with him. We have lots of points in common in terms of our social plans, our visions." MORE MARKET SCENES
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2010 11:38
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Guinea
  • Country: Guinea
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6U2Q77D4PUGAM5QEUBB18D7IF
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Guinea's poll leader Cellou Diallo says next leadership must show commitment to rules and re-negotiate resource deals.
    The front-runner in Guinea's presidential election said on Saturday (July 10) he will re-negotiate mineral deals deemed unbeneficial to the West African state but not launch a wholesale review of the sector.
    Former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo scored nearly 40 percent of the votes in the June 27 first round, aimed at restoring democratic rule to Guinea after decades of repressive regimes.
    "The mining sector is vital to our country and, if handled properly as the Guinean people expect, it could turn Guinea into an emerging country very quickly," Diallo said.
    Diallo did not cite specific contracts, though there has been a flurry of deal-making in recent months as top mining firms manoeuvre for control of resources including iron ore and bauxite, the aluminium ore.
    But Diallo noted that contracts signed under the junta that seized power after the December 2008 death of long-time leader Lansana Conte by definition lacked legitimacy because they have not been approved by an elected parliament.
    "We shall to try to modify them (the contracts) if necessary to ensure Guinea's interests are taken into account. Only if talks break down would we take measures such as cancelling them -- we'll cancel nothing from the start," he said.
    Those contracts include agreements with U.S.-listed Hyperdynamics Corp, Brazilian mining giant Vale and UK-listed Bellzone Mining.
    Diallo now goes head-to-head against veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde who scored 20 percent, in a run-off originally set for July 18 but now delayed by at least two weeks to allow rulings on legal challenges to the first-round result.
    An adviser to Guinea's Supreme Court announced on Sunday (July 11) that final results of the first round would be announced on July 19 after numerous losing candidates complained of irregularities in a vote applauded by U.S. and European officials.
    Some called their supporters to take to the streets to protest what they called fraudulent election results.
    As Guineans hoped to see their first free election in decades, the protests dampened spirits and many now want a smoother second round.
    "Guineans are worried about a single thing: these protests flowing in from candidates saying they had their victory stolen, and who appealed to the Supreme Court. People are really worried about this, because they don't want to see political parties supporters launching themselves in violent protests, and taking to the streets," said Nfaly Traore, an electrician from Conakry.
    "It would be good if in the second round our leaders could do something to guarantee the peace," added handiman Mohamed Ahmed Camara.
    Such a timetable would mean the second round could not go ahead before early August to allow 14 days of campaigning by Diallo and Conde, who will now seek to secure endorsements from other candidates to widen their support bases.
    The backing of third-placed Sidya Toure, a former prime minister who picked up some 15 percent of the first-round vote, could be decisive and Diallo made an overt appeal to him, hinting at a future role in government.
    "I am seeking his backing for the second round because in my estimation I would have no problem working with him," he said.
    Observers say it could take years to turn around an economy shattered by decades of mismanagement. But Diallo argued an improvement could come quickly with the restart of development aid frozen after the military coup, relief on foreign debt and corruption-free leadership.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register