Guinea's ailing head of state, General Lansana Conte, was sworn in for another seven-year term on Monday. The swearing-in ceremony took place before a panel of Supreme Court judges. While Conte was able to take his oath of office in a loud, clear voice, the difficulty he experienced in getting from his seat to the rostrum has led to further speculation about the President’s decline and his ability to embark on another seven years in power. Conte, 69, who first came to power through a coup d'etat in 1984, cleared 95.2 percent of the vote in the elections on December 21. But the poll was boycotted by opposition parties (most of whose candidates had already been ruled ineligible to stand by the authorities) and the results were announced amidst accusations of electoral fraud and vote-rigging.