Electoral body mulls delaying presidential run-off results

AFP - Guinea's electoral commission will decide Monday morning whether or not to postpone the already-delayed announcement of the November 7 presidental election result, the commission's president said.
   
The announcement came after one of the candidates, former premier Cellou Dalein Diallo, renewed complaints of fraud on Sunday.
   

"I received Sunday evening this letter which asks for the suspension of the proclamation of the provisional results pending deeper investigations," said commission chairman Siaka Sangare referring to a letter from Diallo's supporters.
   
He would submit the letter to his colleagues for their consideration, he said, but added: "I sincerely believe that we have treated all claims with the maximum attention."
   
The commission had said on Sunday that it would announce the delayed the results the following day.
   
But Diallo, who ran against against veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde in the second-round presidential run-off, said Sunday he would not accept provisional results if they were announced Monday.
   
It was critical that the electoral commission fully examine what he described as "massive fraud at all levels", he said.
   
If the commission does postpone an announcement it will be yet another delay for results that were originally expected last Wednesday.
   
Sangare said that if either candidate was not happy about how the commission handled their claims, they could still take their case to the supreme court.
   
The election aims to end 52 years of dictatorship and military rule in the west African country.
   
Schools in the capital Conakry have been closed for the past 10 days after a campaign that was marked by violence.
   
National television has been broadcasting appeals to avoid election-related violence ahead of the Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha on Tuesday.