Latest news with #Ivorian-French
Hamilton Spectator
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Thousands protest in Ivory Coast after opposition leader barred from presidential race
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered in Ivory Coast 's capital Abidjan on Saturday to demand the reinstatement on the electoral list of main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, who was barred from running in the presidential election set for October. Despite heavy rain, protesters peacefully gathered near the independent electoral commission, the body responsible for organizing the vote, in Abidjan. On June 4, the electoral commission had excluded Thiam from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates. Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Dressed in green and white, the colors of Thiam's Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, or PDCI, protesters on Saturday held signs in support of the opposition leader, with some chanting 'Corrupt justice' and 'Thithi president.' 'Beyond my own case, this is a movement to ensure democracy prevails in our country. I will soon be with you in Abidjan so we can continue this fight,' Thiam, who was not present at the protest, said in a Facebook video thanking the protesters. Senior PDCI officials were allowed inside the electoral commission building to deliver a letter demanding that excluded candidates be reinstated on the electoral list. 'We strongly denounce the arbitrary and unjust removal of President Thiam and other key opposition leaders from the electoral list,' PDCI Executive Secretary Sylvestre Emmou told reporters following the meeting with members of the commission. In recent weeks, dissent has grown in the West African nation, fueled by the exclusion of the opposition candidates from the voter roll and the anticipation of a ruling party congress later this month, where President Alassane Ouattara is expected to announce his bid for the October 25 election. Ouattara has been in power since 2011 and is currently serving his third term. Despite Ivory Coast having a two-term limit for presidents, he argues it doesn't apply to him due to a constitutional referendum passed in 2016. In 2020, Ouattara won a disputed election boycotted by the opposition. There have been some fears of post-election violence erupting in Ivory Coast, where more than 3,000 people were killed following a disputed vote over a decade ago. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
14-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Thousands protest in Ivory Coast after opposition leader barred from presidential race
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered in Ivory Coast 's capital Abidjan on Saturday to demand the reinstatement on the electoral list of main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, who was barred from running in the presidential election set for October. Despite heavy rain, protesters peacefully gathered near the independent electoral commission, the body responsible for organizing the vote, in Abidjan. On June 4, the electoral commission had excluded Thiam from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates. Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Dressed in green and white, the colors of Thiam's Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, or PDCI, protesters on Saturday held signs in support of the opposition leader, with some chanting 'Corrupt justice' and 'Thithi president.' 'Beyond my own case, this is a movement to ensure democracy prevails in our country. I will soon be with you in Abidjan so we can continue this fight,' Thiam, who was not present at the protest, said in a Facebook video thanking the protesters. Senior PDCI officials were allowed inside the electoral commission building to deliver a letter demanding that excluded candidates be reinstated on the electoral list. 'We strongly denounce the arbitrary and unjust removal of President Thiam and other key opposition leaders from the electoral list,' PDCI Executive Secretary Sylvestre Emmou told reporters following the meeting with members of the commission. In recent weeks, dissent has grown in the West African nation, fueled by the exclusion of the opposition candidates from the voter roll and the anticipation of a ruling party congress later this month, where President Alassane Ouattara is expected to announce his bid for the October 25 election. Ouattara has been in power since 2011 and is currently serving his third term. Despite Ivory Coast having a two-term limit for presidents, he argues it doesn't apply to him due to a constitutional referendum passed in 2016. In 2020, Ouattara won a disputed election boycotted by the opposition.
Toronto Star
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Thousands protest in Ivory Coast after opposition leader barred from presidential race
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered in Ivory Coast 's capital Abidjan on Saturday to demand the reinstatement on the electoral list of main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, who was barred from running in the presidential election set for October. Despite heavy rain, protesters peacefully gathered near the independent electoral commission, the body responsible for organizing the vote, in Abidjan. On June 4, the electoral commission had excluded Thiam from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Dressed in green and white, the colors of Thiam's Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, or PDCI, protesters on Saturday held signs in support of the opposition leader, with some chanting 'Corrupt justice' and 'Thithi president.' 'Beyond my own case, this is a movement to ensure democracy prevails in our country. I will soon be with you in Abidjan so we can continue this fight,' Thiam, who was not present at the protest, said in a Facebook video thanking the protesters. Senior PDCI officials were allowed inside the electoral commission building to deliver a letter demanding that excluded candidates be reinstated on the electoral list. 'We strongly denounce the arbitrary and unjust removal of President Thiam and other key opposition leaders from the electoral list,' PDCI Executive Secretary Sylvestre Emmou told reporters following the meeting with members of the commission. In recent weeks, dissent has grown in the West African nation, fueled by the exclusion of the opposition candidates from the voter roll and the anticipation of a ruling party congress later this month, where President Alassane Ouattara is expected to announce his bid for the October 25 election. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Ouattara has been in power since 2011 and is currently serving his third term. Despite Ivory Coast having a two-term limit for presidents, he argues it doesn't apply to him due to a constitutional referendum passed in 2016. In 2020, Ouattara won a disputed election boycotted by the opposition. There have been some fears of post-election violence erupting in Ivory Coast, where more than 3,000 people were killed following a disputed vote over a decade ago.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Thousands protest in Ivory Coast after opposition leader barred from presidential race
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered in Ivory Coast 's capital Abidjan on Saturday to demand the reinstatement on the electoral list of main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, who was barred from running in the presidential election set for October. Despite heavy rain, protesters peacefully gathered near the independent electoral commission, the body responsible for organizing the vote, in Abidjan. On June 4, the electoral commission had excluded Thiam from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates. Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Dressed in green and white, the colors of Thiam's Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, or PDCI, protesters on Saturday held signs in support of the opposition leader, with some chanting 'Corrupt justice' and 'Thithi president.' 'Beyond my own case, this is a movement to ensure democracy prevails in our country. I will soon be with you in Abidjan so we can continue this fight,' Thiam, who was not present at the protest, said in a Facebook video thanking the protesters. Senior PDCI officials were allowed inside the electoral commission building to deliver a letter demanding that excluded candidates be reinstated on the electoral list. 'We strongly denounce the arbitrary and unjust removal of President Thiam and other key opposition leaders from the electoral list,' PDCI Executive Secretary Sylvestre Emmou told reporters following the meeting with members of the commission. In recent weeks, dissent has grown in the West African nation, fueled by the exclusion of the opposition candidates from the voter roll and the anticipation of a ruling party congress later this month, where President Alassane Ouattara is expected to announce his bid for the October 25 election. Ouattara has been in power since 2011 and is currently serving his third term. Despite Ivory Coast having a two-term limit for presidents, he argues it doesn't apply to him due to a constitutional referendum passed in 2016. In 2020, Ouattara won a disputed election boycotted by the opposition. There have been some fears of post-election violence erupting in Ivory Coast, where more than 3,000 people were killed following a disputed vote over a decade ago.
04-06-2025
- Politics
Ivory Coast opposition leader Thiam excluded from October's presidential ballot list
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse and the main opposition leader in Ivory Coast, has been excluded from the country's final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said on Wednesday. Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October. Earlier this year, a court in Ivory Coast ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run for president because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the country's electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: "If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.' Thiam, who is the president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party's primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March. Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup.
