Gen. Siaka Toumani Sangare, with the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF), was named president of the electoral commission, the director of the government’s press bureau read on state television late Tuesday.
Sangare, from Mali, is with the OIF mission in Guinea. The organization has 70 member states and governments, with French as a common language.
The communiqué was briefly interrupted by a power outage at state TV headquarters, a reminder of the myriad infrastructure problems any future president faces.
Street fighting between police and supporters of presidential candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo on Monday and Tuesday killed at least two people and injured dozens more, according to eyewitnesses and officials of Diallo’s UFDG party. Police reportedly opened fire on groups of protesters in Conakry’s impoverished suburbs.
Diallo faces Alpha Conde in Sunday’s election.
Diallo’s supporters demanded the replacement of the controversial CENI chief, Louseny Camara, who they accuse of supporting Conde and stealing voting ballots from a populous Conakry suburb where Camara served as poll administrator.
Camara has denied the accusations. He was demoted to vice president of the CENI in the same presidential decree Tuesday.
Prime Minister Jean-Marie Dore condemned the violence and said those responsible will be dealt with rapidly.
“Whoever puts people in the street, in violation of the law, without authorization…will pay the price,” Dore said in an interview on state TV.
Guinea has been ruled by a military junta since a coup in December 2008.
Source: CNN