Ivory Coast’s main opposition force aligned to former president Laurent Gbagbo says it will not contest the December parliamentary elections, accusing the authorities of deliberately targeting its leadership through politically-motivated prosecutions.
The African Peoples’ Party – Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) announced the boycott after the detention of Damana Pickass — a senior party figure — who was picked up near Abidjan on Tuesday. According to state prosecutor Oumar Braman Kone, Pickass (real name Damana Adia) is accused of calling for an uprising and attempting to undermine state institutions following the October 25 presidential vote.
President Alassane Ouattara, in power since 2011, secured an overwhelming victory in that election with almost 90% of the vote. However, critics say the poll lacked real competition after Gbagbo and ex-minister Tidjane Thiam were prevented from running. Opposition rallies had already been restricted days before the vote, and civil society groups say the pre-election environment was already tilted heavily in favour of the ruling party.
PPA-CI said after an emergency meeting that the country is experiencing a “toxic socio-political atmosphere” marked by repression and judicial harassment, and that participating in the legislative elections would legitimize what it calls an unfair electoral process.
Pickass, who previously managed coordination between Gbagbo’s faction and Thiam’s Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, was previously sentenced earlier this year to 10 years in a separate 2021 case for “endangering state security,” but had remained free pending appeals and procedural processes. His new charges fall under terrorism-related law, and he has since been transferred to the anti-terrorism division at an Abidjan court for further investigation.
Election-related tensions remain high. Official government figures say at least 11 people were killed during unrest linked to the presidential polls. Opposition sources — including lawyers associated with detained activists — claim the number could be as high as 27, and say more than 100 supporters have already received three-year prison terms in expedited trials.
With the opposition heavily fractured and many of its key personalities either barred from running or facing legal challenges, analysts say Ouattara’s Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) appears set to extend its dominance when Ivorians go to the polls on December 27 — even if turnout could be markedly low in the absence of a major opposition challenge.
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Source:Africa Publicity
