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CÔTE D'IVOIRE: “Man proposes, God disposes”, Ouattara for 3rd mandate

0 Aug. 7, 2020, 7:22 p.m.

The Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara has announced his candidacy for a third mandate in the upcoming October 31 presidential election.

Mr. Ouattara had initially announced in the month of March 2020 that he will not seek for a third mandate and that he wants to transfer power to a younger generation.

As such, former Ivorian Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly was designated to stand in for the RHDP party but this could not be feasible as Mr. Coulibaly died sooner than the election day.

The death of PM Coulibaly left the RHDP party in disarray about who to represent the party in the October 31 presidential polls.

President Ouattara ended this dilemma on Thursday 06 August 2020 when he announced in his speech to the nation on the eve of Côte d'ivoire's 60th anniversary of independence.

"I am a candidate for the presidential election on October 31. It is a duty that I accept for the duty of the Nation, a real sacrifice for me that I assume for the love of my Country" announced Ouattara.

However, the news of Ouattara's candidacy for a third term in the upcoming presidential election has not been welcomed by some Ivoirians, some who say it is not constitutional while others say that he is not a man of his words.

Artist Meiway reacts

The Ivorian artist Meiway has warned Mr. Ouattara for seeking a third mandate and he advised him to rethink his decision again in order not to fall into the tragic fate of African Heads of state who are obsessed with power.

“…Mr. President, we do not build a country on a regime of fear and imprisoning the bearers of opposing ideas. By succumbing to temptation and political eternity, you run the risk of sinking Côte d'Ivoire into chaos, which we believed to be forever distant.

Are you going to sacrifice everything you've built to put yourself on the wrong side of our country's history?" Are you going to fall into the tragic fate of African heads of state obsessed with power? Mr. President, you still have the chance to escape the predators who are agitating around you for their interests, ” Meiway warns. Watch video here.

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