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                  Guinea's New Leader Will Face Ailing Economy

   by Chris Stein

   Guinea is waiting for the outcome of last Sunday's presidential
   election. Whoever wins will be faced with rebuilding an economy
   battered by the country's Ebola epidemic.

   Guinea is home to one of the world's largest untapped sources of iron
   ore, along with stores of other minerals such as bauxite. But after
   decades of dictatorship and military rule that only ended in 2010, the
   country is poor. Over half the population lives in poverty, according
   to the World Bank.

   President is asking Guineans for a second term. He ran against seven
   candidates, including three former prime ministers in last Sunday's
   vote. Full results are not expected until Friday, but the two main
   opposition parties have already withdrawn, alleging fraud.

   ''

   Still, many in Guinea hope that whoever comes next will develop the
   country.

   Student Vamba Camara said he wanted the country to develop. It did not
   matter who wins, he said and he just wanted development.

   'Ebola' factor

   While the country's economy grew modestly in the first years of Conde's
   presidency, that growth ground to a halt when an Ebola epidemic broke
   out in 2013.

   The virus has killed more than 2,500 people in Guinea. The World Bank
   predicts the country's GDP will shrink by a third of one percent in
   2015.

   ''

   Perhaps no sector is as important to Guinea's future as mining. The
   Simandou iron ore deposit in the country's southeast is one of the
   largest untapped sources of that mineral in the world.

   Former Finance Minister Ousmane Kaba said Ebola slowed efforts to start
   exploiting the ore.

   "Only Simandou project can change completely Guinea," he said.

   Guinea has now gone two weeks without reporting any fresh cases of
   Ebola. Kaba said it would take longer to get the economy back on track.

   "I think within six months. We'll get rid of Ebola completely in three
   months, and three other months for the people to come in," he said.

   But which president will preside over this expected recovery remains to
   be decided.
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   onomy/3007702.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/guinea-new-leader-will-face-ailing-economy/3007702.html