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Ivory Coast’s ruling party has nominated President Alassane Ouattara to stand for re-election, even though the leader himself has yet to officially declare his candidacy for a fourth term.
The nomination came on Saturday during a party meeting, with Patrick Achi, head of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), putting Ouattara’s name forward. Party delegates swiftly endorsed the proposal.
Ouattara is expected to address supporters at a major rally on Sunday at the Ebimpe stadium, the same venue where Ivory Coast’s national football team lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy earlier this year.
The RHDP’s decision follows growing political friction after Ivory Coast’s two principal opposition parties announced a new alliance on Thursday. The African People’s Party – Ivory Coast (PPA-CI), led by former president Laurent Gbagbo, and the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), headed by former international banker Tidjane Thiam, have joined forces to challenge the government’s efforts to sideline opposition candidates.
Both leaders are currently barred from contesting the upcoming election scheduled for October 25, following controversial court rulings that disqualified several prominent opposition figures, including Gbagbo.
The emergence of this “common front” has heightened political tensions in the West African nation, as the opposition accuses the government of manipulating the electoral process to secure Ouattara’s continued rule.
