A new political party in Guinea said Saturday the country's junta leader would be its presidential candidate despite international sanctions against him for reneging on a promise not to seek office. 'Captain (Moussa) Dadis Camara is our candidate,' said Fode Cisse, the national secretary of the Rally for Defence of the Republic (RDR), a new party formed to support Camara's candidacy. The show of support came after the African Union on Friday announced it would impose sanctions on Camara over his intention to run in presidential polls, with the first round set to be held January 31. The AU's Peace and Security Council, which did not elaborate on the nature of the sanctions, argued that Camara, who took over the west African country in a bloodless coup last December, had reneged on an earlier pledge not to run. After initially saying he would not seek electoral legitimacy, the 45-year-old leader of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDDP) has started to hint that he would indeed run. 'The sanctions imposed by the international community with the African Union at the head will be a waste of time,' Cisse said. He added that the AU and the international community need to understand that the solution to Guinea's future is up to the people of Guinea. 'Guinea is a sovereign state which is not under guardianship and can manage by itself,' he added. Camara installed himself at the helm in Conakry in December after leading a bloodless coup within hours of the death of Guinea's strongman leader Lansana Conte, who had been in power since 1984. Camara's possible candidacy has sparked demonstrations, with hundreds of people protesting since last month in the streets of Conakry and most major international powers urging him to hold to his promise. The AU council Friday expressed 'deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Guinea and the consequences it has for the process of return to constitutional order in the country,' a statement received by selfnews said. The AU suspended Guinea from membership of the pan-African body after the December coup. In previous cases, it has taken sanctions against illegitimate leaderships ranging from travel bans to asset freezes. The AU however gave Camara one more month to make good on his promise. Under growing international pressure to restore democratic rule, Camara last month announced presidential and parliamentary polls for next year. He also recently cited Mauritania's coup and subsequent elections as justification for a possible run for office. 'It was an elected president who was overturned and the one who did it ran in the election. He (General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz) won the vote and the international community has endorsed it,' Camara said. bm/boc/mb 