Cote d’ivoire President Declares Fourth-Term Bid Amid Constitutional Controversy

Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara has confirmed he will seek a fourth term in office, intensifying political tensions ahead of the country’s presidential election scheduled for October 25.

The 83-year-old leader, who has governed since 2011, made the announcement on Tuesday, days after being nominated by his ruling party, the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP). His confirmation comes amid growing opposition backlash over the disqualification of several key political figures.

“I am a candidate because the constitution of our country allows me to run for another term and my health permits it,” Ouattara said, justifying his decision by citing the country’s ongoing “unprecedented security, economic, and monetary challenges, the management of which requires experience.”

The opposition has condemned the move, calling it unconstitutional and an attack on the country’s democracy. Critics argue that Ouattara is tightening his grip on power and using the judiciary to sideline political opponents.

“The announcement made today by Mr Ouattara constitutes a violation of our constitution and a new attack on democracy,” said Tidjane Thiam, leader of the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI). Thiam, a former international banker, was barred from running over nationality issues. His lawyer, Mathias Chichportich, revealed that a UN human rights committee has asked the Ivorian government to allow Thiam to “exercise his political rights” and contest the election.

In addition to Thiam, several high-profile opposition figures have been excluded from the race due to criminal convictions, including former President Laurent Gbagbo, ex-Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, and Charles Blé Goudé. Gbagbo’s party, the African People’s Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PPACI), and Thiam’s PDCI have now formed a joint campaign demanding the reinstatement of barred candidates.

Damana Pickass, a top official in Gbagbo’s party, echoed Thiam’s concerns, calling Ouattara’s mandate “unconstitutional.” Meanwhile, Pascal Affi N’Guessan, presidential candidate of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), described the re-election bid as “a candidacy as illegal as his third.”

Ouattara’s third term in 2020 was also marred by controversy. While the original constitution limited presidents to two terms, a new constitution adopted in 2016 reset the term count, allowing Ouattara to run again. The opposition boycotted that election, which ended in a landslide victory for Ouattara and widespread unrest that left at least 85 people dead.

Supporters credit the Côte d’Ivoire president with bringing a decade of relative political stability to a region shaken by military coups, but critics warn that democratic institutions are under threat.

Ouattara, an economist by training, previously worked at the International Monetary Fund and the West African central bank BCEAO before entering politics under the late President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s, eventually clashing with Henri Konan Bédié after Houphouët-Boigny’s death in 1993.

Though he was barred from several elections due to nationality laws and residency requirements, Ouattara returned to claim victory in 2010. The refusal of then-president Laurent Gbagbo to concede sparked a post-election conflict that left over 3,000 people dead. Gbagbo was later acquitted by the International Criminal Court, though he still faces a conviction at home.

Now, with the October election drawing near and the opposition in disarray, the Côte d’Ivoire president stands as the dominant figure—though his candidacy may again test the limits of the country’s constitution and democratic resilience.