Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara officially filed his candidacy yesterday for the 25 October presidential election at the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) headquarters in Abidjan. Welcomed by thousands of enthusiastic supporters in party colours on August 26, the 83-year-old leader said his decision to seek re-election was in response to calls from his party and citizens. He expressed hope that the polls would be conducted peacefully, reinforcing democracy and national stability.
Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, enters the race at a time when major opposition figures, including Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo, have been barred from contesting by court rulings. With the deadline for submissions imminent, the CEI has received about 40 applications, among them former First Lady Simone Gbagbo and ex-Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan. The Constitutional Council will now validate the final list of candidates.