Guinean regime rejects national conference

The Guinean government has rejected calls for a national conference made by some civil society organizations in the country. The national conference would have reviewed the Guinean constitution and the entire structure of the government. Unlike some other West African countries which now have stable multiparty democracies, Guinea never held a national conference in the early 90s when the end of the Cold War forced a wave of democratization (some real, some fake) through much of Africa. The country is in an extremely precarious state as it's held hostage by the ailing head of state Gen. Lansana Conté who refuses to resign despite being clearly unable to run the country.