Guinea’s military junta leaders promised on Monday that the they would establish a unity government to work on a transition.
Faya Millimono, leader of the opposition Liberal Bloc party of Guinea, said some Guineans are liking what they are hearing so far from the military junta, especially the promise that they did not seize power to engage in a witch hunt or recrimination.
VOA's James Butty spoke to Millimono about the junta's promise to form a government of national union.
The interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
VOA: What is your take on the military junta's promise to establish a unity government?
Millimono: They have stated clearly that they will call for a dialogue, but we need to write our constitution. We need to sit together and define the future of our country...And also they said they didn't take over to stay, and what is important in what they have said is there won't be any retaliation against anybody..We are asking them, we want (president) Alpha Condé to be safe.
VOA: Did they arrest anyone?
Millimono: No they did not arrest anyone. They told them no one of them should go out of the country because probably when Guinean people get together to define their future, we want to know what happened during the last 10 years, who did what. And we know that our country is ruled by corruption and so on.
VOA: Did the the military junta free any prisoners?
Millimono: Some of them, they had said yesterday that they are going to free them. I think some of them are already free. And I think all of them in the end are going to be free.
VOA: The economic community of West African states (ECOWAS) has called for an extraordinary summit. What is your view?
Millimono: They have condemned the coup by principal. Nobody wanted what happened to happen...But that being said, we know that the change of the constitution by the former president was blessed by ECOWAS leaders. Personally with some other opposition leaders, we went all the way to Abuja, to the court of justice just to prevent the former president from changing our constitution to seek another term. Nobody listen to us.
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Guinea Coup Leaders Promise Political Inclusion, Unity Government