Ivory Coast’s main opposition party has called for a nationwide protest on November 8, denouncing what it describes as “massacres” and state repression during last Saturday’s presidential election, which returned President Alassane Ouattara to power for a controversial fourth term with nearly 90 percent of the vote.
The African People’s Party – Ivory Coast (PPA-CI), led by former president Laurent Gbagbo, accused security forces of violently targeting opposition supporters and claimed that at least 23 people were killed in clashes surrounding the vote. The government, however, has officially confirmed only three deaths in Nahio, a town in the country’s centre-west where violence erupted on election day.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the PPA-CI urged citizens to take part in a “large peaceful march” demanding justice for victims and the release of detained political activists. The party condemned what it called Ouattara’s “unconstitutional” continuation in power, asserting that the election was marred by intimidation, censorship, and the suppression of dissent.
Authorities had earlier banned opposition demonstrations for two months, citing national security concerns. Human rights groups say hundreds of people have been arrested for defying the ban, with several dozen receiving three-year prison sentences.
Tensions escalated further this week when police summoned about 20 members of the PPA-CI and the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) for questioning. PPA-CI Secretary-General Jean-Gervais Tcheide said the summonses were later suspended but described them as part of a “strategy to intimidate and disqualify opposition candidates” ahead of the December 27 legislative elections.
The disputed vote has deepened political and social divisions in the West African nation, once seen as a model of post-war recovery. Analysts warn that unless dialogue is restored between Ouattara’s government and opposition leaders, the crisis could undermine Ivory Coast’s stability just as it prepares for another critical electoral test.
Source:Africa Publicity
