Ivorian opposition calls for ‘civil disobedience’

By Alexander Nyarko Yeboah – GITFIConline.com

Tema, Sept 22, gitficonline—The main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara in next month’s election has asked Ivorians to rise up against the president and ensure that he does not continue in office after serving two terms.

Former President Henri Konan Bedie says President Ouattara’s bid to go for a third unprecedented term in office is unconstitutional and must be resisted by all legal force.

This was made known to the gitficonline in an Africa News Video post on reuters website showing a press conference in which Former President Konan Beedie presented his position on the emerging Ivorian constitutional crises.

“Do you understand our response in the face of this abuse of authority? It can only be one irrepressible and irreversible statement—civil disobedience,” the former president said

In an earlier statement captured by CGTN Africa, former Côte d’Ivoire Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, also urged the opposition to use lawful means to block the controversial third term presidential bid by President Ouattara.

PM Soro told reporters in the French capital, Paris, that Ivorians did not want this type of elections, and “I call for unity of action by the opposition to stop Mr Ouattara … by all legal and legitimate means,” he said.

This was PM Soro’s first comment in public since Côte d’Ivoire’s Constitutional Court barred him and former president Laurent Gbagbo from contesting in next month’s presidential election.

The court’s decision, however, cleared Ouattara to run for a third term, sparking violent protests in a number of cities.

President Ouattara says a change in the constitution means his two term limit has been reset. He therefore announced his intention to run last month following the sudden death of his hand-picked successor.

At least a dozen people have been killed in an anti-Ouattara protests since that announcement, raising memories of a disputed election in 2010 that led to a civil war and the deaths of around 3000 people.

At least a dozen people have been killed since protests against Ouattara’s third term presidential bid erupted in August.

In March, Ouattara said he will not seek re-election but reversed his position and accepted the nomination by the ruling party following the death of its candidate and former Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly in July.

His critics kicked against his decision saying his actions were in violation of the constitution which only allowed a president to serve for two terms. The incumbent, however, fired back saying that his first two terms did not count under the new constitution which was adopted in 2016.