Guinea's Big Vote: What's at Stake?

Guinea is in the middle of a big vote. It's the first time since 2021 that they're choosing a new leader. The man in charge right now, General Mamadi Doumbouya, took over after a coup. He's the favorite to win, but not everyone is happy about it. The country has a lot of valuable stuff like bauxite, which is used to make aluminum. Yet, more than half of the 15 million people in Guinea are struggling with poverty and not enough food. This is a big problem. Young people are hoping this vote will bring change. Idrissa Camara, an 18-year-old from Conakry, has been out of work since finishing university. He's doing odd jobs to get by. He's hoping this vote will make life better in Guinea. The vote is happening under a new rulebook. It lets military leaders run for office and makes the president's term longer. This new rulebook was approved in a vote last September, even though some political parties told people not to vote. Guinea is not the only country in Africa where soldiers have taken power recently. At least 10 countries have seen coups in the past few years. The soldiers say they do this because the leaders before them weren't doing a good job. Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, a political expert, thinks this vote is a big deal. He says it's a new chapter for Guinea. But he also says Doumbouya is the favorite because the main opposition parties aren't really in the running.Since the coup, there have been problems. Activists and rights groups say leaders have been silenced, critics have been taken away, and the press isn't free. Last year, more than 50 political parties were shut down. The government said this was to clean up the political scene. There's a lot of security around the vote. Nearly 12, 000 police officers are on duty. They've set up checkpoints and are keeping an eye on things. There was even a report of gunshots in Conakry's Sonfonia neighborhood, but the authorities said they took care of it. Nine people are running for president. Doumbouya's closest competitor is Yero Baldé. He was the education minister before the coup. Two other opposition candidates were not allowed to run. Two long-time opposition leaders are living outside of Guinea. Baldé is promising to make the government better, fight corruption, and grow the economy. Doumbouya is focusing on big projects and changes he's made since taking over. One of Doumbouya's big projects is the Simandou iron ore project. It's mostly owned by China and just started production after many years of delays. The government says this project will create a lot of jobs and help the economy grow. Some people are still not sure if they want to vote. Issatou Bah, a 22-year-old student, has voted before but hasn't seen much change. He's hoping this time will be different.