Ivory Coast’s October election was always likely to be tense – but President Alassane Ouattara’s decision last month to seek a controversial third term has dramatically raised the stakes.
After all, it was only on March 5 that Ouattara announced he would not stand for re-election, even as he insisted that constitutional amendments introduced in 2016 allowed him to run again.
Pledging to “pass on the torch to a new generation”, the 78-year-old a week later told a gathering of the governing RDHP party they “will be in good hands” as he backed Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly for president.
The announcement of Coulibaly’s candidacy seemed to end months of speculation that Ouattara would try to extend his stay, thus eliminating a great source of friction between the RDHP and the opposition ahead of the highly anticipated October 31 presidential election.
But the relief was short-lived.
On July 8, less than a week after his return to Ivory Coast from a two-month stay in France for medical treatment for recurring heart issues, the 61-year-old Coulibaly – a fervent Ouattara loyalist – fell ill during a cabinet meeting and passed away.
The sudden death of the president’s hand-picked successor created a leadership vacuum at RDHP; within hours, senior party officials began floating the idea of pressing Ouattara to reconsider.
In the end, it was hardly a surprise when Ouattara declared on August 6 he would accept the RDHP’s nomination to be its candidate – a decision he described as a “real sacrifice”.
The opposition, however, viewed it completely differently. Likening it to a “coup”, Ouattara’s furious opponents said his course reversal violated the constitution. Moreover, they warned, it risked a return to the turbulence of the past.
The anger swiftly spilled onto the streets, too. Days of violent protests erupted in different parts of the country, leaving several opposition supporters dead and dozens arrested. Government opponents accused authorities of using excessive force to quell the demonstrations.
Worryingly, a report by Amnesty International said police in the commercial capital of Abidjan had apparently allowed groups of machete-wielding men to attack those who defied a ban to protest against Ouattara’s bid. -Reuters