When I sat down with Guinean presidential candidate Alpha Conde in March he mentioned off-handedly that I should come to Conakry for the elections. Then he paused and said maybe after the elections would be better.

He may have been thinking of the frenzy of activity leading up to the polls. But, it’s easy to read into the situation concern that the election will be carried off peacefully.

A lot of fears permeate this process. Fear that the ethnic divisions represented in the political parties will come into painful focus when the winners (and losers) are named. Fear that the Camara issue has not been completely settled. Fear that ”neutral” two parties–the French government and the Guinean military– have  their preferred candidate (Conde).

There are seventeen days until the polls. The field currently holds 24 candidates–most notably  Sidya Toure, Cellou Dalien Diallo, Francois Lonseny Fall, Lansana Kouyate and Conde, whom one outlet is calling the leading candidate.

If anything is clear, it’s that the Guineans have embraced the electoral process. One hopes they’re equally enthusiastic about the electoral result.