VZCZCXRO1168
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0345 1681150
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171150Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3761
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000345 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL ASEC GV
SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTIES MULTIPLY IN UNCERTAIN POLITICAL 
ENVIRONMENT 
 
¶1.  (U) According to contacts, there are now approximately 75 
political parties officially registered with the Ministry of 
Territorial Administration and Political Affairs.  Before the 
coup, there were 47 official parties in Guinea although some 
sources indicate that there were a few more "unofficial" 
parties.  Traditionally speaking, Guinean political parties 
are generally organized around a key political personality, 
often with specific ethnic ties.  Guinea's newest parties are 
no exceptions. 
 
¶2.  (U) Newcomers to the political arena include former Prime 
Minister Francois Fall, controversial millionaire Mamadou 
Syllah, former Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate, and former 
Secretary General of the Presidency Ibrahima Keira. 
Political rallies are increasingly common with large 
gatherings of citizens sporting t-shirts or hats with their 
candidate's picture prominently displayed across the front. 
Party offices are also springing up all over Conakry.  New, 
high profile political personalities, such as the ones listed 
above, are making their voices heard, appearing often in the 
printed press and broadcast media. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Despite this seemingly dramatic increase in 
political interest, Guinea's political leaders, both old and 
new, are still saying little about what they actually hope to 
accomplish.  With few exceptions, much of the rhetoric 
focuses not on a policy agenda, but rather, on criticisms of 
the CNDD and discussions of when and how to hold elections. 
The political dialogue is no different now than it was before 
the coup other than the fact that the targets have changed. 
Instead of opposing Conte, the "opposition leaders" are now 
opposing the CNDD. 
 
¶4.  (U) Newer political arrivals, such as Lansana Kouyate, 
are actively pushing to delay elections while long-time 
opposition leaders, such as Sidya Toure, are pushing for 
elections as soon as possible.  The entry of each new 
political party corresponds to another seat around the table 
at Les Forces Vives meetings, and in some cases (such as with 
Mamadou Syllah), another seat at the negotiating table with 
the International Contact Group for Guinea (ICG-G).  Each new 
addition also adds another voice to the discussion, which can 
then delay the decision-making process. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶5.  (SBU)  Most of Guinea's political parties are small and 
attract only a handful of supporters.  However, each 
political party is equal in the eyes of the law and therefore 
has a say in how the country moves through this transition 
period.  More than 75 different political leaders are now 
entitled to sit around the table and debate with other 
members of Les Forces Vives.  To put the steadily increasing 
size of this group in perspective, the dissolved National 
Assembly only had 114 members.  The number of parties is 
growing so quickly, with an average of about one new party 
per week, that it is difficult to get an accurate tally from 
one day to the next. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Some contacts have speculated that new political 
leaders such as Mamadou Syllah and Ibrahima Keira, who are 
commonly perceived as Conte loyalists, entered the political 
arena in order to ingratiate themselves with the new regime 
by blocking progress towards elections.  Others say that 
candidates such as Lansana Kouyate are actively pushing to 
delay elections because they need time to establish a voter 
base.  Regardless of the motives, it is clear that the new 
players are adding a complicating dynamic.  Rather than 
strengthening the collective political voice, in some cases 
they seem to be diluting it.  END COMMENT. 
RASPOLIC