Côte d’Ivoire: Ex-president Bédié requires unity in his social gathering to win the following elections

The previous Ivorian president Henri Konan Bédié, now an opponent, on Thursday referred to as on his social gathering members to unite to win the following presidential election in 2025, after the defection of some leaders in latest weeks.

This name for unity echoes the defections in latest weeks of some PDCI leaders, corresponding to Mr. Bédié’s former chief of workers, Narcisse N’Dri, who joined the ruling social gathering.

The 88-year-old ex-president additionally hinted that alliances could possibly be cast with different events for the following elections.

“When two forces are joined, their effectiveness is double. United and decided, let’s be part of forces,” he mentioned in entrance of greater than a thousand delegates.

A number of opposition figures have been seated within the entrance row: leaders of the social gathering of one other former president, Laurent Gbagbo, former First Girl Simone Gbagbo, or Charles Blé Goudé..

In his speech, Henri Konan Bédié additionally made a harsh evaluation of Côte d’Ivoire.

“Our inhabitants is struggling. Poverty is unprecedented, our training system is in decay,” he mentioned.

Mr. Bédié nonetheless assured to achieve out to President Alassane Ouattara to “have interaction in a frank and honest dialogue (…) for the advantage of an enduring peace”.

Municipal and regional elections are to be held in September 2023. The subsequent presidential election will happen in 2025.

Henri Konan Bédié, who ruled Côte d’Ivoire from 1993 to 1999, doesn’t rule out being the PDCI’s candidate on this election. He’ll then be 91 years previous.

Different members of his social gathering have additionally expressed their willingness to enter the presidential race corresponding to former Commerce Minister Jean-Louis Billon.

On Thursday, Mr Bédié was named as the only candidate to succeed him as PDCI president on the social gathering’s subsequent congress in June.

The PDCI, a former single social gathering, was in energy from 1960, when Côte d’Ivoire gained independence, to 1999.

As soon as an ally of President Alassane Ouattara, elected in 2010, he has returned to the opposition since 2018, the place he has change into nearer to the supporters of Laurent Gbagbo.