20101109
africanews

Guinea's national election body CENI said the results of the West African country's presidential runoff election held on Sunday could take five days to emerge as against three days required by law. This means results due for Wednesday may now wait till Friday.

"It will be up to five days," Reuters quoted a senior official for the national election commission Foumba Kourouma as saying. He said the delays in transporting ballots from rural polling stations over bad roads remained a challenge in collating election results.

Speed up measures

Kourouma said the deployment of a U.N. helicopter would help speed the collection of voting papers.

According to Reuters, a U.N. official based in the Senegalese capital, Dakar said a helicopter from the U.N. Mission in Liberia had been deployed to Guinea at CENI's request.

UN, AU commend election

The United Nations envoy for West Africa and the Chairperson of the African Union both welcomed the peaceful conclusion of the second round of the presidential election in Guinea.

UN envoy Said Djinnit said Guineans had demonstrated their commitment to democracy by participating in the poll.

"Through their massive mobilization, the people of Guinea have demonstrated their deep commitment to democracy and their willingness to restore constitutional order," Said Djinnit said in a statement following Sunday's election.

Background

Sunday's run-off poll reportedly marked the first free election in the country rich in the aluminium ore bauxite and major iron reserves, since gaining independence from France in 1958.

The election which passed peacefully is aimed at restoring democratic rule in Guinea after the military seized power in a 2008 coup following the death of long time ruler Lansana Conte.