[4] The Democratic Party of Guinea, which had won all but four seats in the Territorial Assembly election the previous year under the leadership of Ahmed Sékou Touré, pushed for a rejection of the constitution, and on 19 October the party severed its ties with the African Democratic Rally, whose other members were in favour of retaining ties with France.
The French government reacted badly to the result, and although Touré had not been seeking it, withdrew totally from the country and halted any development assistance.
Touré initially attempted to maintain relations with France, stating a desire to remain in the franc zone and assuring businesses in Guinea of continued international openness to Guinea's significant mineral, agriculture, and hydro-electric resources.
The Washington Post reported that "as a warning to other French-speaking territories, the French pulled out of Guinea over a two-month period, taking everything they could with them.
They unscrewed light bulbs, removed plans for sewage pipelines in Conakry, the capital, and even burned medicines rather than leave them for the Guineans.