Guinea proposes Oct. 10 for long-delayed historic presidential runoff vote

Guinea proposes Oct. 10 for delayed election

CONAKRY, Guinea — Election officials in Guinea are proposing that a long-delayed presidential runoff be held next month.

Boubacar Diallo, the electoral commission’s director of planning, said they suggest the vote be held Oct. 10. The date still must be approved by Guinea’s transitional government.

Last week, officials said the runoff was being delayed by at least two weeks because voter ID cards ordered from a printer in South Africa had not yet arrived.

The leading candidate has accused the government of purposely delaying the vote to give the underdog a chance to catch up in the polls.

Many had hoped the vote would mark a turning point for the troubled West African nation that has known only authoritarian rule, but it appears to have exacerbated ethnic divisions.