cote d'ivoire elections 2020 candidates
Under the guise of Ivoirité, Bédié barred Ouattara, whose father was rumoured to be from Burkina Faso, from taking part in the 1995 presidential election. Cote d’Ivoire is one of six ECOWAS member states scheduled to hold elections in 2020. When Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara announced on Mar. He has also promised, paradoxically, to lower tax rates and boost public spending. 28 July 2020 3 minute READ. After being ousted in a coup in 1999 – the first in the country’s history – he went into exile in France before returning to Ivory Coast in 2002 during the outbreak of the civil war. The pact propelled Ouattara to presidential election victories in 2010 and 2015 but collapsed in September 2018 when the parties bickered over whose candidate should be in pole position in 2020. Winning more than 3.1 percent of the vote (his 2015 result) and putting those words into action will be difficult without the backing of the electoral machinery of the major parties. Despite having come second in the last presidential election, Pascal Affi N’Guessan faces a difficult campaign. Questions over the Independence of Electoral Institutions. Opposition supporters attacked several motorcades of pro-government figures, in some cases shooting at them, or setting vehicles on fire. Président. 16 September 2020. Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara has won a controversial third term in office in an election boycotted by the opposition. The announcement triggered protests across the country leading to at least 15 deaths in subsequent clashes between demonstrators and the police. One week later, Gon Coulibaly was, to no surprise, designated the presidential candidate for RHDP. He returned last Thursday saying: “I am back to take my place by the side of the president, … But after falling out with Bédié in 2015, he decided to run as an independent, coming third in the election. Ouattara’s third term bid is of grave concern to political stability in Côte d’Ivoire. Under his watch, the government introduced universal health coverage, built new roads and massively expanded access to electricity. KKB is pitching himself as a fresh-faced alternative to the other three candidates who have an average age of 77 and who have long-dominated Ivorian politics. The United States remains committed to supporting free, transparent, and inclusive elections in Côte d’Ivoire. On Sunday he held a meeting attended by parties whose candidates have been barred from competing by the constitutional court. Sign up. Those remaining will compete in the first round of the election on October 31. [11] Soro's lawyers claimed this was an attempt to prevent him taking part in the election. He took aim at Bédié in an interview with Jeune Afrique: “He said himself in 2010 that he had led his last fight. Le mot du Président. Expert Comment. Elections in Côte d’Ivoire: President Ouattara’s Dilemma . In 2015, Ouattara won a landslide victory with 84 percent of the vote. Côte d’Ivoire 2020 Election Observation Mission. “This decision represents a real sacrifice for me,” he solemnly declared. In 2020, this cannot still be his last fight! [9] Despite opposition parties calling for a boycott, two of his opponents have allowed their names to remain on the ballot (Kouadio Konan Bertin did not support the boycott).[10]. March 13, 2020. Presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire: Daloa, the starting point for many candidates for exile. Incumbents in Burkina Faso, Togo and Guinea exploited rule changes to subvert a two-term limit. His chances of winning in the first round are small – particularly if the ‘Gbagbo or Nothing’ wing keeps its promise to not boycott this election and then throws its weight behind Bédié. Affi N’Guessan was not invited to Bédié’s opposition meeting on Sunday but has joined those denouncing Ouattara’s third term bid as unconstitutional, describing the current government as a “dictatorship”. D. Hakes/Carter Center Photos (file photo). Candidates - parties Votes % Laurent Gbagbo - Front populaire ivoirien: 59.4 Robert Guéï - Indépendant: 32.7 Francis Wodié - Parti ivoirien des travailleurs: 5.7 Théodore Mel Eg - Union des Démocrates de Côte d'Ivoire: 1.5 Nicolas Dioulo 0.8 Total (Participation 37,4 %) 100.0 Source: Reuters. In the US, Trump and Biden are outliers because the He does not have the support of Henri Konan Bédié (who is arguably now his greatest challenger) and faces anger over the exclusion of Gbagbo and Soro from the race. [7], Ouattara argued that because a new constitution was promulgated after a constitutional referendum in 2016, term limits (normally 2 for a President) were effectively reset, which would allow him to run for a controversial third term. The 67-year-old ex-Prime Minister is the ‘official’ leader of the FPI – the left-wing party set up by Laurent Gbagbo. Cote d'Ivoire: Presidential Election - Four Candidates On the Starting Block . President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a third term in office has been rife with controversy. This time around it will be harder. M. COULIBALY-KUIBIERT Ibrahime. Cote d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara is 79 while one of his opponents, former president Henri Konan Bedie, was 86 when he contested in 2020. His campaign slogans include “Reform, reconciliation, redistribution” and “Together create the conditions of true change”. La Liste Electorale 2020 est consultable par tout citoyen ivoirien. The 78-year-old had made repeated promises to hand power over to “a young generation”. © 2021 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. Former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, who was living in France, announced that he would contest the elections. He has dismissed the ‘Gbagbo or Nothing’ wing as “remaining in the logic of dissidence”. Incumbent president Alassane Ouattara was re-elected with 95% of the vote amidst an opposition boycott. Africa Insight. S'INFORMER SUR PROCESSUS ELECTORAL. [3][4] However, in May Coulibaly was hospitalised for heart complications and had a stent fitted. But Coulibaly’s sudden death from a heart attack in July shattered his plans for his political succession, and so Ouattara was forced to rethink. However, on 29 April 2020 he was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison and given a $7.6 million (£6.1 million) fine. [11][12], On 14 September, the Constitutional Council approved four candidates; Ouattara, former president Henri Konan Bédié from the PDCI, former prime minister Pascal Affi N'Guessan and Kouadio Konan Bertin, a dissident from the PDCI. N’Guessan has said he would welcome the return of Gbagbo from exile but argues that until that day comes, he should lead the FPI into elections. France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines. [13], The opposition announced that it would not recognise the validity of the election, saying it was "marred by many irregularities and a low turnout," and called for "the start of a civilian transition in order to create the conditions for a fair, transparent and inclusive election". The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health. 2020-10-21T09:19:03.749Z. The historic elections upcoming are opportunities for Côte d’Ivoire to continue on its peaceful path towards prosperity. For years, Ouattara had suggested that he would not run again. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a second round will be held. Ivory Coast’s Constitutional Court ruled in September that only four of 44 presidential hopefuls would be allowed to run in the country’s October 31 presidential election. Following a peace deal between the government and former rebels in March 2007, the next elections were planned for early 2008. [5][6] In late July 2020, Ouattara rescinded his initial decision and announced his candidacy for a third term. In the run up to the 2020 election, there are signs that Bédié has been successful in building new alliances. as he was sworn in as his party’s candidate. [14], Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace, "Politics Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara vows to step down in 2020", "Côte d'Ivoire: Ouattara annonce qu'il ne sera pas candidat à la présidentielle d'octobre", "Alassane Ouattara choisit Amadou Gon Coulibaly", https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20200709-disparition-amadou-gon-coulibaly-quelles-cons%C3%A9quences-presidentielle, https://www.ivoirebusiness.net/articles/coup-de-tonnerrepresidentielle-2020-la-candidature-dhamed-bakayoko-se-precise, https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2020/06/09/accuse-de-trafic-de-drogue-le-ministre-ivoirien-de-la-defense-annonce-porter-plainte_6042233_3212.html, "Ivory Coast's Ouattara to run for third term in October election", "Ivory Coast President Heads for Victory in Disputed Election", "Ivory Coast presidential election: Who are the candidates? Soro's lawyers claimed this was an attempt to prevent him taking part in the election. Current president Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 when his father died, is expected to extend his rule as he’s now expected to be the sole candidate on the ballot. The opposition claims that Ouattara’s third-term bid is unconstitutional, but the incumbent argues that constitutional amendments in 2016 reset the term count. The President of Ivory Coast will be elected for a five-year term using the two-round system. It is only in Tanzania that we see relatively younger leaders: incumbent John Pombe Magufuli is 61 and leading opposition candidate, currently in exile in Belgium, Tundu Lissu is 53. Découvrez, en 12 étapes, le déroulement du scrutin en Côte d’Ivoire. These political and security risks around the presidential elections, are reflected in a downward notch that we apply to Cote D’Ivoire’s rating. In January 2017 incumbent President Alassane Ouattara of the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) announced that he would not run again after being president for two terms (2010–2015 and 2015–2020). French President Emmanuel Macron had congratulated Ouattara on his initial decision not to stand for a third term. Côte d’Ivoire’s prime minister Hamed Bakayoko, whose death was announced on 10 March, appeared to be one of the most likely candidates to succeed President Alassane Ouattara. Demonstrators opposed to President Alassane Ouattara running for a third term confront riot police in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, Aug. 13, 2020 (AP photo by Diomande Ble Blonde). Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning, Take international news everywhere with you! Togo will hold the first African presidential election of the year on Feb. 22. ", "Ivory Coast opposition candidates to boycott electoral process", "Former Ivory Coast rebel leader Guillaume Soro fined $7m in absentia", "Guillaume Soro: 20 year sentence is 'attempt at political execution, "Ivory Coast court bars former leader Gbagbo, ex-PM Soro from presidential vote", "Côte d'Ivoire election 2020: Opposition struggles to find common ground", "At least two killed, dozens injured in Cote d'Ivoire election violence", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2020_Ivorian_presidential_election&oldid=1012489119, Articles to be expanded from November 2020, Articles needing translation from French Wikipedia, Election and referendum articles with incomplete results, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The 51-year old former MP is now standing as the election’s only independent candidate. To detractors that say he is too old to run, he insists: “Age is an asset”. The adoption of the 2016 Constitution led … [8] Despite seeing good economic growth, critics have argued that vast inequality remains, and that Ouattara is developing authoritarian tendencies. Mesdames et Messieurs, Cher(e)s Internautes, Nous vous savons légitimement très nomb Consultez votre présence sur la Liste . From left to right: incumbent Alassane Ouattara, former president Henri Konan Bédié, Pascal Affi N'Guessan and Kouadio Konan Bertin. On the campaign trail, he will be keen to boast of his presidential legacy of economic development. Gbagbo loyalists created the so-called ‘Gbagbo or Nothing’ faction and boycotted previous elections, refusing to recognise Affi N’Guessan as a legitimate replacement for the party’s founder. The Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire and the ruling party’s candidate for the October presidential polls, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, died on Wednesday following a Cabinet meeting. He returned to Ivory Coast on 2 July, but died six days later after falling ill during a meeting of the Council of Ministers. A number of PDCI members gained ministerial positions in government and continue to hold them, even after the alliance fell apart in 2018. AFP Photos/Sia Kambou Several localities, including several in Yamoussoukro, had seen traffic prevented from reaching some neighborhoods, and that the entry points to the city were blocked by barricades. It was a Friday afternoon, on the eve of the 31 October 2020 presidential election. “We are the only political group able to guarantee development and the continued improvement of living standards for our citizens, in peace and security,” he told a cheering crowd as he was sworn in as his party’s candidate. Because they face criminal sentences, ex-President Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro, both giants of Ivorian politics, were among those barred from running. This page was last edited on 16 March 2021, at 17:14. After coming third in the 2010 presidential election, Bédié urged PDCI supporters to back Ouattara in the second round in an ultimately successful bid to oust Laurent Gbagbo from power. A challenge to uphold presidential term limits coupled with unresolved tensions surrounding Côte d’Ivoire’s civil war in 2010 make the 2020 elections a watershed for the country. Je salue la décision historique du Président @AOuattara_PRCI, homme de parole et homme d’État, de ne pas se présenter à la prochaine élection présidentielle. Many hope that the 2020 elections will see Côte d’Ivoire’s first democratic handover of power. Presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire: Kouadio Konan Bertin, self-proclaimed youth candidate 2020-10-26T08:41:58.578Z In a country where two-thirds of the population is under 25, Ivorian presidential candidate Kouadio Konan Bertin, 52, does not hesitate to use … [1] On 5 March 2020, he publicly reiterated his intent not to be candidate during an address to Congress. The event left the RHDP without a candidate, and Ouattara considered putting forward Defense Minister Hamed Bakayoko, before renouncing due to alleged links to drug trafficking. The candidacy was made possible despite his previous terms as they did not count toward the two-term limit in the new constitution introduced in 2016, the elections having taken place under a different constitution. However, on 29 April 2020 he was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison and given a $7.6 million (£6.1 million) fine. His presidency was marked by the embrace of Ivoirité – a xenophobic ideology used to discriminate against those of Burkinabe and Malian origins. Opposition parties argued that the move was unconstitutional, and some protests ensued, but Ouattara was allowed to run again regardless by the Independent Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Court. Konan Bertin tried to win the nomination to stand for the PDCI going into this election. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. He was met with rapturous applause. Flanked by delegates from the pro-Gbagbo wing of the FPI party and Guillaume Soro’s GPS party, he called for civil disobedience in response to Ouattara’s “violation” of the constitution. The EU notes the Constitutional Council’s decision of 14 September concerning the candidates eligible to stand in the presidential election. Wake up to the essential with the Editor's picks. Ivoirians and observers alike are particularly desperate to avoid a repeat of 2010, when post-election violence between supporters of Ouattara and then-president Laurent Gbagbo left at least 3,000 people dead. Cote d’Ivoire holds legislative elections on March 6, 2021, following the October 2020 presidential election. As the presidential election on October 31 approaches, Thaïs Brouck, correspondent for France 24 in Côte d'Ivoire, crisscrossed the country to meet the people. These elections are happening in the wake of the presidential election, in which President Alassane Ouattara sought controversial third term while using the state to bar his political opponents from running against him. After Gbagbo was sent to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in 2011, the party split in two. He was ultimately spurned by the party. Bédié has called for the return of all exiles and the release of all remaining political prisoners from the 2010-11 post-electoral crisis. https://t.co/oDcmBl1sNW. However, several members of the opposition have had disagreements, with the PDCI, Guillaume Soro, Simone Gbagbo, and Pascal Affi N'Guessan saying that a transitional government should immediately be named, while the FPI party argued that it was too early to form one in the current environment, saying a civil disobedience movement needed to force Ouattara to negotiate in a legal manner. Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power.