Guinea’s junta has announced the formation of the last organ of the transition administration – the National Transition Council (NTC) – which will serve as the parliament in the course of the transition period.
The 81-member body represents various interest groups in the Guinean society. Its formation was made public in a statement on Saturday, broadcast on state TV and citing a decree invoked by junta leader and Transition President Col. Mamady Doumbouya.
The NTC was one of four organs Col. Doumbouya promised to form as part of his Transition Charter unveiled at the end of September last year, which contained the road map to return to civilian rule.
The formation of the NTC comes nearly five months after Doumbouya led a group of soldiers to oust President Alpha Conde. The 83-year-old former president is current in the UAE where he is undergoing medical treatment.
Conde became the first democratically elected president of Guinea in 2010. He was re-elected in 2015. His move to change the country’s constitution to allow him contest for a third term plunged the country into a political crisis, which culminated in the coup on September 5.
The junta has been under pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to conduct election and transfer power to a civilian administration.
ECOWAS, which had given the junta a six-month deadline to complete this transition, has since slammed the military leadership with sanctions for its failure to release the deposed former president. The sub regional group also threatened further actions if the transition government failed to meet its deadline.
The junta’s transition charter identified four institutions that will run the country – the National Rallying Committee for Development (CNRD) junta, which is headed by Doumbouya; the president of the transition, head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who is also Doumbouya; a government headed by a civilian prime minister; and the CNT as the legislative arm, also headed by a civilian.
The NTC, according to the list published by the junta on Saturday, comprises representatives of all interest groups in the Guinean society, from political parties to civil society, trade unions, employers organizations, religious interests and human rights organizations, among many others.
Dansa Kourouma , a prominent civil society activist, was named as head of the body. Until his appointment, Mr Kourouma was
the head of the influential National Council of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea (CNOSC-G), one of several umbrella civil society organizations in the country. He has two vice presidents: Mrs. Maïmouna Yombouno, 1st Vice-President, and Elhadj Sény Facinet Sylla, 2nd Vice-President.
The NTC will decide on the date for all major activities leading to elections. It will also draft a new constitution, prior to conducting elections.
