Veteran Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara announced Tuesday he will seek a fourth term in October’s election. At 83, Ouattara has led the West African nation since 2011 and remains the overwhelming favourite to win.
His ruling party, the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), nominated him months ago, but he confirmed his candidacy only this week. The opposition condemns his fourth term bid as unconstitutional, arguing it violates the country’s term limits.
“I am a candidate because the constitution allows it and my health permits,” Ouattara said, citing the nation’s complex security and economic challenges.
Under his decade-long leadership, Ivory Coast has seen relative stability amid a region marked by coups and turmoil. Critics accuse him of consolidating power and using the judiciary to bar opposition candidates.
Two major opposition parties have launched a joint campaign demanding reinstatement of their excluded leaders ahead of the vote. This alliance unites former president Laurent Gbagbo’s African People’s Party (PPACI) with the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI).
Several opposition figures, including Gbagbo and former prime minister Guillaume Soro, were removed from the electoral register due to convictions. Tidjane Thiam, PDCI’s leader, was disqualified over nationality issues, sparking accusations of political repression.
Thiam called Ouattara’s announcement “a violation of our constitution and a new attack on democracy.” Past disputes over term limits fueled unrest during the 2020 election, which the opposition boycotted amid violent clashes.
Ouattara’s political journey began in economics before he entered the turbulent arena of Ivorian politics in the 1990s. He faced exclusion from elections due to nationality laws, survived civil war violence, and eventually secured power after a disputed 2010 vote.
The bitter post-election crisis claimed thousands of lives before Ouattara’s presidency was cemented in 2011. Gbagbo, acquitted by the International Criminal Court, remains convicted domestically for the crisis that ended his rule.