Guinea's PM appeals for massive turnout for September 24 legislative polls

Guinean Prime Minister Mohamed Said Fofana has appealed for a massive turnout of voters during the long-delayed legislative elections scheduled for Sept. 24. The prime minister made the appeal on Sunday on a visit to Kindia, the main town in the Basse Guinea region, 150 km from the capital Conakry. The prime minister's appeal has helped remove doubts about the possibility of holding the legislative elections on schedule after the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) announced the election date. The opposition had threatened to create civil disobedience as from Sept. 19, sparking fears that the vote may again fail to take place even if the election date was set by CENI and approved by President Alpha Conde. CENI in charge of organizing the elections is already sending the electoral register to political parties contesting in the elections and distributing electoral materials to electoral constituencies. The distribution of the electoral cards has begun in the capital and some towns in the interior areas. CENI has on several occasions reassured Guineans of its determination to respect the Sept. 24 date, which was fixed through an Inter-Guinea Global Agreement signed on July 3 between all the parties taking part in the electoral process. The legislative elections were due within six months after the presidential election in November 2010 to end the crisis unleashed by a military coup in December 2008. It has never taken place because of tensions between the rival parties.