Ivory Coast protesters demand Thiam’s reinstatement on Presidential ballot

Thousands of demonstrators gathered peacefully in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, on Saturday to demand the return of prominent opposition leader Tidjane Thiam to the country’s presidential electoral list.

Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse and leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), was recently disqualified from running in the upcoming October presidential election.

The protest, held despite heavy rainfall, took place near the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), the body in charge of organizing the vote.

The CEI announced on June 4 that Thiam, along with three other major opposition figures, had been excluded from the final list of presidential candidates.

Earlier this year, a court ruled Thiam ineligible due to his dual nationality.

Although born in Ivory Coast, he had acquired French citizenship in 1987—a status he officially renounced in March. Thiam has vowed to challenge the decision.

Clad in green and white, the official colors of the PDCI, protesters waved banners and chanted slogans including “Corrupt justice” and “Thithi president,” expressing their support for Thiam.

The opposition leader, currently outside the country, addressed the rally in a Facebook video, declaring, “This is not just about me.

It’s a fight for democracy in Ivory Coast. I will soon be with you in Abidjan to continue this struggle.”

Senior officials from the PDCI were permitted to enter the CEI building to deliver a formal letter demanding that all excluded candidates be reinstated.

“We categorically reject the arbitrary and unfair removal of President Thiam and other opposition leaders from the electoral list,” said Sylvestre Emmou, Executive Secretary of the PDCI, following the meeting with electoral officials.

The exclusion of opposition candidates has sparked growing unrest in the West African nation, particularly in the lead-up to a key ruling party congress later this month.

President Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to announce his candidacy for the October 25 election.

Ouattara, who has been in power since 2011, is currently serving his third term. Although the Ivorian constitution imposes a two-term limit, Ouattara contends that a 2016 constitutional revision reset the count, making him eligible to run again.

His re-election in 2020 was widely contested and boycotted by the opposition.

The current political tensions have raised concerns about possible post-election violence, recalling the 2010–2011 crisis in which over 3,000 people were killed following a disputed presidential vote.