With just over a week remaining for candidates to register for Ivory Coast’s October presidential elections, a group of opposition activists is advocating for a new nominee.
The group, known as the Initiative for the Reconciliation and Safeguarding of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA), includes former members of the Movement of Students of Côte d'Ivoire. They are pushing the party to name a new presidential candidate, arguing that the failure to do so is disheartening to loyal members and driving some to join other political groups.
In April, an Ivorian court ruled that the PDCI-RDA's designated candidate, Tidjane Thiam, should be removed from the electoral roll.1 The court cited his dual Ivorian and French nationality at the time of his registration as the reason for the decision.2 The opposition leader, a former Credit Suisse Chief Executive, has accused the ruling party of using the courts to eliminate President Alassane Ouattara’s most serious political rival.
Members of the Initiative for Reconciliation and Safeguarding have also raised concerns about what they describe as “internal dysfunctions” within the party. They claim these issues include a lack of transparency in financial management, "internal practices that stifle democracy," and "a growing gap between the party's leadership and its base."
The party’s executive secretary, Sylvestre Emmou, has refuted the criticism, stating that it creates a false impression of a crisis within the PDCI-RDA.