Ivory Coast President Ouattara says he won’t seek re-election in October
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said on Thursday he would not stand for re-election in October, ending speculation about his political future ahead of a highly-anticipated vote.
Ouattara had previously said he would run if his longtime political rivals were candidates, defying opponents who say the constitution does not give him the right to seek a third term.
But he declared in a speech before lawmakers that he would hand over power to a new generation after 10 years in office.
Alassane Ouattara✔@AOuattara_PRCI
Je voudrais annoncer solennellement, que j’ai décidé de ne pas être candidat à l’élection présidentielle du 31 octobre 2020 et de transférer le pouvoir à une jeune génération.
Ouattara was first elected president of Ivory Coast, the world’s leading cocoa producer, in a 2010 election that sparked a brief civil war when his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to concede defeat. Around 3,000 people died in the violence.
Ouattara’s two main rivals, Gbagbo and another former president, Henri Konan Bedie, have not yet said whether they will be candidates in October.
(REUTERS)
