THE 3RD TERM ELECTION OF IVORY COAST PRESIDENT ALASSANE QUATTARA HAVE LED TO LOOMING TENSIONS SPARKING FEARS OF POTENTIAL UPRISING IN THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY
The Presidential elections took place this past weekend 31st October 2020– it happened over controversy of a 3rd term of President Alassane Quattara against the 2016 constitution. He was not eligible to run but he did.
A coalition of all Main opposition parties boycotted the Presidential elections after unsuccessful in preventing the incumbent from running.
Results were released yesterday November, 2, 2020 and the incumbent won by 94/% claiming it secured 53% of registered voters.
Opposition says less than 10% of registered voters took part in the elections. The electoral commission declared the president winner.
A transition government was declared yesterday by the opposition and members are expected to be nominated today. They have called for national civil disobedience. The leader of the transition government is veteran ex-president Henri Kona Bedie in his early 80s.
French President Emmanuel Macron has EDGED the incumbent president to work with the opposition ( i don’t know what that means). There is tension and skirmishes in most parts of Ivory Coast as President Quattara ( a French favourite) broke his own promise NOT to contest for more than two terms.
Read also: ALASSANE QUATTARA WINS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN COTE D’IVOIRE AMID BOYCOTT FROM OPPOSITION PARTY
He took over power after Laurent Gbagbo was captured and removed with the help of French troops after losing the 2010 Presidential elections. Gbagbo was taken to the Haque but later acquitted of all charges. Due to his popularity, Gbagbo has been prevented from returning to Ivory Coast after concerns he may return to power either directly or indirectly. He is a key supporter of the opposition coalition with rumours he may soon return to Ivory Coast as chaos is expected. Like Mali , ECOWAS has failed to prevent another possible insurgency in West Africa - but it is not too late to turn the situation round.
David Otto
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