President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara has been nominated for a third term by his political party despite outrage from the opposition about its unconstitutionality.
The trajectory of the elections changed when his anointed successor and former Prime Minister, Amadou Gon Coulibaly died of a heart attack in July.
In March 2020, he said in an interview that he would not seek reelection but changed his stance in July. The constitution of Ivory Coast limits presidential term limits to two terms.
The President’s party, Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) have made a case in support of the incumbent leader citing that the constitutional tweak of 2016 recalibrated the system.
Ouattara’s reelection ambitions have caused unrest in the country with mass protests and violence becoming a norm. So far, six people have died with over a hundred injured.
The build-up to the October 31 elections is reminiscent of the violence that occurred in the 2010 elections that claimed the lives of over 3,000 Ivorians.