Opposition party offices remain closed

The headquarters of two of Guinea's opposition parties remained closed on Wednesday as a result of a crackdown by the authorities on groups opposed to a constitutional amendment that would allow President Lansana Conte to seek a third term, opposition sources said.

The Guinean authorities closed the offices of the Rally of the Guinean People (RPR - Rassemblement du peuple guineen) and the Union of Republican Forces (UFR - Union des forces republicaines) on Sunday as they and other opposition parties prepared to hold a rally in the capital, Conakry.

The rally - part of an opposition campaign against an 11-November referendum on the amended constitution - did not take place as security forces detained some opposition leaders and dispersed their followers, the sources told IRIN.

Government troops have also prevented opposition gatherings in other cities. This led the parties to decide against a nationwide tour for fear of jeopardising the safety of their supporters, the sources said. However, the opposition has maintained its boycott of the referendum.

Guinea's constitution was last amended in 1993. The latest amendments, if approved, would extend the president's mandate from five to seven years while there would be no maximum age limit for presidential candidates. They would also allow the president to nominate Supreme Court judges.

The new constitution would also allow presidents to seek re-election as often as they please, which would enable Conte, who was due to leave office in 2003, to run for a third term. The sources said Sunday's poll was a "non-event" because, they claimed, everything has been done for Conte to win.

The referendum process has also been criticised internationally.

Amnesty International on Tuesday joined other organisations, including the G-7 and the European Union, in condemning it, while urging the authorities to respect freedom of expression and association. Amnesty also called on foreign governments and donor organisations to investigate rights abuses in Guinea which, in the past, have occurred around election time.