The opposition parties have formed a coalition that will be effective in the second round.

Preparations are gathering momentum for what is believed to be the most decisive and highly contested presidential election in Guinea’s political history, whose first round will hold on October 11, 2015.

Incumbent President Alpha Condé who was nominated by his ruling party, Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), as its candidate will certainly be facing his main challenger of the 2010 presidential election, Cellou Dalein Diallo, who is the candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea.

Cellou Dalein Diallo, who lost to Alpha Condé during the second round of the presidential election of 2010 in which Condé won with 52.5 per cent of the votes cast, is prepared to turn the tides in his favour as he has brought together 10 other opposition political parties and they signed a coalition on Friday, September 4, 2015. In the coalition, news agency reports said, there are two candidates aspiring for the presidency.

“Signatories to the coalition have accepted to support any of their candidates who will get to the second round of the presidential election, as their objective is to win the presidential poll to ensure democratic change,” Aboubacar Sylla, their spokesperson reportedly said. Cellou Dalein Diallo, the main opposition leader is campaigning for other opposition parties to join the coalition.

Over eight candidates have finally been retained by the Independent National Electoral Commission to run for the presidency. The candidates said to come from all parts of the country include incumbent Alpha Condé, Sidya Touré, Cellou Dalein Diallo, Papa Koly Kourouma, Faya Millimouno, George Gandhi Faraguet Tounkara, Lansana Kouyaté and Marie Madeleine Dioubaté, Vision Guinée reported.

Peace is expected to characterize the electoral and post-election periods considering that the opposition and government reached a deal in which government granted concessions to some of the opposition’s demands by accepting to give the opposition representation in 128 of Guinea’s 343 districts and to replace recently deceased members of the electoral commission with opposition candidates.