(Ecofin Agency) - In Guinea, the Communication High Authority (HAC) has just banned all publicity on the results of the presidential election on upcoming 11^th October. The ban concerns all media, the Guinean publicity office (OGP) as well as the telephone operators. HAC clearly states that only the National Independent Election Commission (CENI) will be allowed to publish the results of the election.

“After the last polling station has closed and until the announcement of the provisional results by CENI, no media outlet, nor OGP, is authorised to communicate any result through any medium”, indicates Article 11 of the decision taken this 19^th September by HAC. Article 12 goes a step further, stipulating: “During the election campaign and until the proclamation of results by the Constitutional Court, it is strictly forbidden to all telephone operators to broadcast, relay or communicate information of any nature on the election campaign.”

The reaction of the political parties from the opposition was immediate. “Martine Condé (photo), the president of HAC, has decided on her own, that on Election Day and the following day, the mobile telephone operators would shut down SMS services. This is because they do not want anybody to communicate on the results”, the Vice-President of UFDG was outraged during a meeting, the website Africaguinee.com reports.