Ivory Coast: An Election on the Tightrope

The coming elections in the Ivory Coast are both desired and feared. Desired because the populations are tired of the economic slump most often explained by the situation of “no peace no war” prevailing since 2002.

They are also desired by an international community which is tired of a non ending process which is expensive because dragging unduly long. But they are also feared because the political opponents’ struggle for power has not changed even for a little, either on the mobilisation register, or on the political communication means. That is shown through the Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, who has promised to rebuild his country if he is re-elected. In announcing his candidacy in Abidjan, he said he would work quickly to repair the damage caused by eight years of war, crisis and neglect. He added that he would pay particular attention to infrastructure and the cocoa sector. The cocoa industry of the Ivory Coast is providing 40 % of the global demand of the country. But, it has seriously declined because of the internal political crises and instability. For his part, former Prime Minister, Alassane Ouattara, was at the same time touring in the North where he addressed thousands of supporters gathered in a stadium, and stated that he was against the war. Alassane Ouattara is participating in this presidential election for the first time, knowing that his candidacy was invalidated in the election of 2000, because his Ivorian nationality was in dispute. The presidential election scheduled for October 31 should reunify the Ivory Coast, which has been split, following a failed coup against President Gbagbo in 2002. Operations of national identity cards and voters distribution has officially started, but many Ivoirians criticise the delays that characterise these distributions.