Ivorian presidential: Soro calls on the opposition to unite, says his candidacy “irrevocable”

The former rebel leader and former Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said Thursday at a press conference in Paris that his presidential candidacy on October 31 was “irrevocable” and called for a union of the opposition to obtain “free and transparent elections”. A total of 40 candidate files, including that of former President Laurent Gbagbo, were rejected Monday by the Constitutional Council.

Guillaume Soro maintains his candidacy and calls for union of the opposition. The former rebel leader and former Ivorian prime minister said Thursday, September 17 at a press conference in Paris that his presidential candidacy on October 31 was “irrevocable”, although it was rejected Monday by the Council constitutional. The court also invalidated 39 other candidacies, including that of former President Laurent Gbagbo. Guillaume Soro also called on the opposition to unite to have “free and fair elections”.

“Maintaining the election of the 31st makes no sense, to participate in it would be to support the institutional coup d’etat of Alassane Ouattara”, declared Guillaume Soro, calling on the opposition, including the former presidents Laurent Gbagbo and Henri Konan Bédié , to unite to block a third term of outgoing President Alassane Ouattara.

“My candidacy is firm, irreducible and irrevocable,” said Guillaume Soro, who also served as president of the Ivorian National Assembly. According to him, “the Ivory Coast has been on the brink” since Alassane Ouattara’s decision to run for a third term.

Guillaume Soro also called for “seizing the ECOWAS with a view to obtaining transparent elections,” assuring that there will be “no election” on October 31, without going into details.

Only four validated applications

On Monday, the Constitutional Council validated the controversial candidacy of the current head of state for a third term, as well as those of former President Henri Konan Bédié (1993-1999), Pascal Affi Nguessan, former Prime Minister under the presidency of Laurent Gbagbo, and of the former deputy Kouadio Konan Bertin, dissident of the party of Henri Konan Bédié.

The announcement of the candidacy of Alassane Outtara at the beginning of August had provoked clashes, especially in communities, which had left some fifteen dead.

Tensions are mounting in Côte d’Ivoire as the presidential election approaches. The EDS platform (Together for Democracy and Sovereignty), which had submitted the candidacy of Laurent Gbagbo, called Wednesday for “demonstrations” after the rejection of the former president’s file and the validation of the candidacy for a third term. of President Alassane Ouattara.

The day before the call, however, the Ivorian authorities extended the ban on demonstrations taken in August until September 30.

AFP