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UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the peaceful holding of the first round of the presidential election in Guinea Saturday, said a statement of the secretary-general's spokesperson.
"As Guinea awaits the final results, the Secretary-General encourages all political leaders and national stakeholders to maintain the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed on election day and to refrain from any statements that may lead to violence or unrest," it said.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call on national stakeholders to peacefully resolve any disputes that might arise, through established legal procedures, it said.
Despite the generally peaceful atmosphere, tensions were stoked when all seven opposition presidential candidates on Monday demanded a re-run, citing fraud.
The West African country has a history of political violence. The incumbent President Alpha Conde originally rose to power in a military coup.
