Guineans voted on Sunday (May 30) in legislative and municipal elections presented by the authorities as another step toward restoring constitutional rule following the 2021 military coup, although the polls took place amid an opposition boycott and growing concerns over political freedoms.

Low turnout was reported at polling stations visited by AFP journalists in the capital, Conakry, and the central city of Labé, while election observers and local monitoring groups also reported subdued participation in several regions.

Almost 7mn Guineans were eligible to vote, but opposition groups and civil society organisations had urged citizens to boycott what they described as a non-competitive electoral process. Subdued participation could weaken the vote’s legitimacy internationally, particularly amid calls to boycot the process.

The Forces Vives de Guinee coalition, which includes opposition parties and civil society groups, called for a boycott of what it described as an “electoral farce” aimed at entrenching “a new dictatorship”.

The elections took place only days after the Eid al-Adha holiday, which may also have affected turnout as many Guineans travelled to spend time with family members. But there were also allegations of voter intimidation and suppression.

Democratic Front of Guinea (Frondeg), which placed second in Guinea’s December presidential election with 6.6% of the vote, alleged that one of its candidates, Abdoulaye Bademba Diallo, had been attacked by two hooded individuals on a motorcycle in the central town of Mamou on the eve of the election.

Voters were electing 147 members of parliament, with analysts expecting candidates aligned with the ruling administration to dominate the vote after authorities dissolved several major opposition parties in March.

“I don't even know who to vote for,” 18-year-old voter Mariatou Diallo told AFP after casting her ballot in a suburb of Conakry. Another voter, 23-year-old student Alassane Barry, described many candidates as “unknown figures”.

Regional and international observers are closely monitoring the elections as a test of Guinea’s transition roadmap following pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a return to constitutional rule after the 2021 coup.

ECOWAS had previously imposed sanctions on Guinea’s military authorities before easing some measures after the junta pledged to organise elections and restore civilian governance. Opposition groups, however, argue that the transition process has increasingly concentrated power around the military leadership rather than reopening political competition.

President Mamadi Doumbouya seized power in September 2021 after overthrowing former president Alpha Condé. The military-led government initially pledged to hand power back to civilians following a transition period, but critics say the process has slowed amid tighter restrictions on political activity.

Authorities have suspended several political parties, banned demonstrations and arrested opposition and civil society figures in recent months.

Human rights organisations have also reported increasing cases of enforced disappearances and abductions involving government critics and their relatives.

The Institute for Security Studies, an African policy and security think tank, recently warned of the risk that Guinea’s political landscape could become increasingly dominated by a single political force.

Guinea’s political transition is also being closely watched by international investors and Western governments because of the country’s strategic role in global mining supply chains. Guinea holds the world’s largest bauxite reserves and produced roughly 130mn tonnes of bauxite in 2025, making it one of China’s most important suppliers for aluminium production.

The country is also preparing for the launch of the multi-billion-dollar Simandou iron ore project, expected to become one of the world’s largest new iron ore developments.

Despite the political uncertainty following the 2021 coup, Guinea’s economy has remained relatively resilient, with the International Monetary Fund estimating GDP growth at around 5.8% in 2025, largely supported by mining exports and infrastructure investment linked to the resources sector.

However, Guinea continues to face broader structural pressures, including high poverty levels, youth unemployment and limited diversification outside mining. Public debt stood at roughly 42% of GDP in 2025, according to IMF estimates, while fiscal pressures have increased because of infrastructure spending and higher social expenditure demands.

Relations between Guinea’s military authorities and Western partners have remained strained but pragmatic since the coup. The ECOWASt imposed sanctions on the junta in 2022 before later easing some restrictions after the military government committed to an electoral transition timetable.

The United States and European Union have repeatedly called for a credible return to civilian rule, respect for political freedoms and the release of detained opposition figures. At the same time, Western governments and international mining investors have maintained engagement with Conakry because of Guinea’s importance to global critical minerals and metals supply chains, particularly bauxite and iron ore exports.