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Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Key Ivory Coast opposition figures banned from October presidential vote
Four prominent opposition figures in the Ivory Coast have been excluded from the final electoral list, according to the Electoral Commission, leaving them ineligible to contest pivotal October presidential elections in a nation with not-too-distant memories of civil war and coup attempts. 'My elimination from the electoral list by the Independent Electoral Commission [CEI] is a sad but eloquent example of Ivory Coast's drift towards a total absence of democracy,' Tidjane Thiam, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), said in a statement on Wednesday. Thiam's statement came two days after CEI head Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly announced that no revision of the electoral register would take place before the vote. Thiam, who was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, was struck from the voter roll in April after a court ruled that he was not eligible to run for president because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality. Thiam, who was born in Ivory Coast, received French nationality in 1987 but renounced it in March. Other major Ivorian candidates excluded from the vote include former President Laurent Gbagbo and his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war. The former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro is also barred. He was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organising a coup. None of the four will be able to run in the October 25 presidential race or vote. Ouattara, who has been in power since 2011, is included on the electoral register but has yet to announce if he will seek a fourth term. In 2015 and 2020, Ouattara won with more than 80 percent of the vote. Thiam has appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, his party said. His lawyer Mathias Chichportich said in a statement sent to the AFP news agency that depriving the opposition leader of 'his political rights' was 'a serious violation of Ivory Coast's international commitments'. Gbagbo's African Peoples' Party-Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) complained that the authorities 'did not choose to listen to the advice, the calls for discussion, for reason', its Secretary-General Jean-Gervais Tcheide told AFP. 'It's a shame they chose to force their way through,' he said, adding: 'We're not going to let them do it.' Other opposition figures who announced their plans to run for the presidency are also featured on the final electoral list. They include former First Lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, who, speaking on behalf of an opposition coalition, said that the conditions were not met for a 'peaceful, calm election'. During the 2020 presidential election, a revision of the electoral list took place in June ahead of the October polling day. The final electoral register for this year's ballot includes the names of 8.7 million voters, in a country with a high immigrant population and where nearly half of the 30 million inhabitants are under the age of 18. Authorities deny any political interference in the electoral process, insisting that they respect decisions made by an independent judiciary.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Ivory Coast opposition leader Thiam excluded from October's presidential ballot list
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse and the main opposition leader in Ivory Coast, has been excluded from the country's final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said on Wednesday. Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October. Earlier this year, a court in Ivory Coast ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run for president because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the country's electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: 'If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.' Thiam, who is the president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup. There was no immediate comment from Thiam's legal representative or his party.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Ivory Coast opposition leader Thiam excluded from October's presidential ballot list
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse and the main opposition leader in Ivory Coast, has been excluded from the country's final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said on Wednesday. Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October. Earlier this year, a court in Ivory Coast ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run for president because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the country's electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: 'If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.' Thiam, who is the president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup. There was no immediate comment from Thiam's legal representative or his party.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Four Ivory Coast opposition figures barred from October presidential vote
Four major opposition figures, including Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo, have been excluded from Ivory Coast's electoral roll. Supporters of the Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation gather during their first meeting in Abidjan on May 31, 2025, ahead of presidential election on October 25, 2025. A large opposition coalition in Ivory Coast on Monday reiterated a call for 'dialogue' with the authorities to allow several excluded candidates in this year's elections to stand. They are calling for a revision of the electoral register before October to allow the barred candidates to be registered and for a reform of the independent electoral commission. Four prominent opposition figures have been removed from the electoral register, ruling them out from running in the October 25 presidential ballot. (Photo by Sia KAMBOU / AFP) Four prominent opposition figures in Ivory Coast have been excluded from the final electoral list, officials announced on Wednesday, leaving them ineligible to contest presidential elections later this year. Tidjane Thiam, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), was struck from the voter roll in April after a court ruling cast doubt on his Ivorian nationality at the time of registration. Ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, his former right-hand man Charles Ble Goude and exiled former prime minister Guillaume Soro have been barred for years over past convictions and were not reinstated. None of the four will be able to run in the October 25 presidential race or vote. President Alassane Ouattara, 83, who has been in power since 2011, is included on the electoral register but has yet to announce if he will seek a fourth term. In 2015 and 2020, Ouattara won with more than 80 percent of the vote. ALSO READ: Environment minister goes to Côte d'Ivoire to tackle drought, climate change in Africa Electoral commission head Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly had announced on Monday that no revision of the electoral register would take place before the vote. 'My elimination from the electoral list by the independent electoral commission is a sad but eloquent example of Ivory Coast's drift towards a total absence of democracy,' Thiam said in a statement on Wednesday. The former international banker, who has been away from Ivory Coast for more than two months, has appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, his party said. His lawyer Mathias Chichportich said in a statement sent to AFP that depriving the opposition leader of 'his political rights' was 'a serious violation of Ivory Coast's international commitments'. For its part, Gbagbo's African Peoples' Party – Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) complained that the authorities 'did not choose to listen to the advice, the calls for discussion, for reason', its secretary general Jean-Gervais Tcheide told AFP. 'It's a shame they chose to force their way through,' he said, adding: 'We're not going to let them do it.' ALSO READ: Gold mine leak 'poisons' 185 people in Ivory Coast: officials 'End all disagreement' Other opposition figures who have announced they will run for the presidency are featured on the final electoral list. They include former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, who, speaking on behalf of an opposition coalition, said that the conditions were not met for a 'peaceful, calm election'. Kuibiert Coulibaly, the electoral commission chief, has called for court decisions to be respected to 'put an end to all disagreement' and to make Ivory Coast 'a state governed by the rule of law'. Previously, during the 2020 presidential election, a revision of the electoral list took place in June ahead of the October polling day. The final electoral register for this year's ballot includes the names of 8.7 million voters, in a country with a high immigrant population and where nearly half of the 30 million inhabitants are under the age of 18. Authorities deny any political interference in the electoral process, insisting that they respect decisions made by an independent judiciary. NOW READ: Record heat rots cocoa beans threatening Ivory Coast agriculture – By: © Agence France-Presse
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Four Ivory Coast opposition figures barred from October presidential vote
Representative Image (AI-generated) ABIDJAN: Four prominent opposition figures in Ivory Coast have been excluded from the final electoral list, officials announced on Wednesday, leaving them ineligible to contest presidential elections later this year. Tidjane Thiam, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), was struck from the voter roll in April after a court ruling cast doubt on his Ivorian nationality at the time of registration. Ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, his former right-hand man Charles Ble Goude and exiled former prime minister Guillaume Soro have been barred for years over past convictions and were not reinstated. None of the four will be able to run in the October 25 presidential race or vote. President Alassane Ouattara, 83, who has been in power since 2011, is included on the electoral register but has yet to announce if he will seek a fourth term. In 2015 and 2020, Ouattara won with more than 80 percent of the vote. Electoral commission head Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly had announced on Monday that no revision of the electoral register would take place before the vote. "My elimination from the electoral list by the independent electoral commission is a sad but eloquent example of Ivory Coast's drift towards a total absence of democracy," Thiam said in a statement on Wednesday. The former international banker, who has been away from Ivory Coast for more than two months, has appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, his party said. His lawyer Mathias Chichportich said in a statement sent to AFP that depriving the opposition leader of "his political rights" was "a serious violation of Ivory Coast's international commitments". For its part, Gbagbo's African Peoples' Party - Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) complained that the authorities "did not choose to listen to the advice, the calls for discussion, for reason", its secretary general Jean-Gervais Tcheide told AFP. "It's a shame they chose to force their way through," he said, adding: "We're not going to let them do it." End all disagreement: Other opposition figures who have announced they will run for the presidency are featured on the final electoral list. They include former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, who, speaking on behalf of an opposition coalition, said that the conditions were not met for a "peaceful, calm election". Kuibiert Coulibaly, the electoral commission chief, has called for court decisions to be respected to "put an end to all disagreement" and to make Ivory Coast "a state governed by the rule of law". Previously, during the 2020 presidential election, a revision of the electoral list took place in June ahead of the October polling day. The final electoral register for this year's ballot includes the names of 8.7 million voters, in a country with a high immigrant population and where nearly half of the 30 million inhabitants are under the age of 18. Authorities deny any political interference in the electoral process, insisting that they respect decisions made by an independent judiciary.
