The Ivorian government has announced a nationwide ban on opposition rallies and demonstrations challenging the exclusion of key contenders from the October 25 presidential election.
The decision comes after the Constitutional Council barred former president Laurent Gbagbo and opposition figure Tidjane Thiam from contesting against incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who is seeking a fourth term. Their disqualification has heightened political tensions in the West African nation, where past elections have often sparked deadly unrest.
In a statement on Thursday, the National Security Council (CNS) warned that “decisions of the Constitutional Council cannot be appealed,” stressing that efforts to contest them were illegal and punishable under Ivorian law. The CNS instructed security and justice officials to enforce the order by banning public gatherings aimed at challenging the council’s rulings.
Gbagbo and Thiam’s parties had called for a joint protest march in Abidjan this Saturday under the banner of “democracy, justice, and peace,” but the planned rally now falls under the ban. The opposition has already staged two large demonstrations in recent months, drawing thousands of supporters despite government restrictions.
Gbagbo’s camp alleges that dozens of its members have been abducted or arrested since August, accusations dismissed by authorities as false. Critics meanwhile question the judiciary’s independence, though the government insists candidate approvals were decided autonomously by the courts.
Ouattara, 83, will face several challengers on the ballot, including former ministers Jean-Louis Billon and Ahoua Don Mello, as well as former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo and politician Henriette Lagou. With tensions rising, fears of unrest continue to shadow Ivory Coast as it heads toward a pivotal vote later this month.
Source:Africa Publicity
