POLITICAL tensions boiled over in Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday as supporters of opposition leader Tidjane Thiam took to the streets, protesting a court decision that disqualified him from the upcoming presidential election.
The country’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire (PDCI), had urged its members to rally outside courthouses following Tuesday’s ruling from the Abidjan court. The judgement struck Thiam from the electoral list, citing the loss of Ivorian nationality when he took French citizenship in 1987—a decision that cannot be appealed.
The court cited Article 48 of the decades-old nationality code. Though Thiam renounced his French citizenship in March, hoping to contest the October 25 vote, the ruling effectively shuts him out of the race.
Protesters defy security blockades
By mid-morning Thursday, a crowd of roughly 100 PDCI supporters gathered outside party headquarters in Abidjan, chanting slogans such as ‘Enough is enough’ and ‘PDCI will live and overcome’. Police had already sealed off major roads leading to the court and party offices, effectively cutting off the planned march.
The government moved quickly to clamp down on unrest. ‘Disorder will not be tolerated,’ warned government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly after a cabinet meeting. ‘This is not a threat. We can consider it a recommendation,’ he added, referring to the opposition’s call for nationwide protests.
Public demonstrations in Cote d’Ivoire require prior police approval—a permit rarely granted for politically sensitive gatherings.
Thiam vows to fight ruling
Speaking from France, Thiam told AFP on Wednesday that the PDCI would not nominate a replacement. ‘It’s me or no-one,’ he declared, announcing plans to challenge the ruling at the West African regional court under ECOWAS.
‘We are going to continue to fight on the ground and to show those in power that this is a decision that is bad for Cote d’Ivoire,’ said the 62-year-old former Credit Suisse CEO, who was born in Cote d’Ivoire.
Thiam argued that the nationality law has long been dormant. ‘I maintain that this law has not been enforced in 64 years. Every day there are Ivorians who take another nationality for varied reasons,’ he said.
Opposition decries political exclusion
Thiam’s supporters insist the ruling is a politically driven move to bar a viable challenger. The ruling party denies any interference, though this isn’t the first instance of prominent opposition figures being excluded from the race.
Former president Laurent Gbagbo was also disqualified due to a past criminal conviction. The ruling party has yet to reveal its candidate for the October poll, though President Alassane Ouattara has hinted he may run again. A party congress in June will decide his next steps.
Ouattara, 83, has held office since 2011 and stated earlier this year that he is eager to ‘continue serving my country’.
‘There is no peace in Ivory Coast. There is a situation of tension. There is an anti-democratic situation. There is a denial of democracy,’ said Simon Doho, head of the PDCI parliamentary group.
Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s top cocoa producer and one of sub-Saharan Africa’s wealthiest nations, had enjoyed a decade of calm following the post-election crisis of 2010–2011, which left some 3,000 dead. But with opposition voices silenced and public frustration mounting, the country may once again be approaching a political crossroads.
