Thousands of opposition supporters marched in Abidjan to protest President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a fourth term and to demand the reinstatement of opposition leaders who have been excluded from the presidential election scheduled for October 25.
The protest was organized by the “United Front,” a coalition composed of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) and the African Peoples’ Party – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI). The leaders of both parties, Henri Konan Bédié and Laurent Gbagbo, were barred from running following judicial rulings.
Protesters chanted slogans in the capital’s streets such as “No to a fourth term” and “We want Gbagbo and Bédié to run,” while opposition leaders described the demonstration as a “historic mobilization” and a “warning message” against what they see as an unconstitutional term.
Ouattara, who has been in power since 2011, announced his candidacy at the end of July, basing it on a 2020 Constitutional Council ruling that recalculates his terms under the new constitution. The opposition rejects this interpretation.
This unfolds amid rising political tensions, with accusations of “arbitrary arrests” of opposition leaders, which the government denies.
Also excluded are former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and Charles Blé Goudé.
