(3 minutes read)
· Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara as a part of conciliation with the opposition parties and to restore normalcy in the country, has invited his arch rival Henri Konan Bedie and leader of the opposition party for talks
· UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took note the validation of the election by the Constitutional Council but expressed his concern about the rising tension, particularly on the restrictions on the movement of opposition leaders
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara as a part of conciliation with the opposition parties and to restore normalcy in the country, has invited his arch rival Henri Konan Bedie and leader of the opposition party for talks. Purportedly for defusing tensions in the West African country after the election, which had triggered violence, the initiative is to douse the standoff over his contested election to a controversial third term.
In the election held on 31 October, Ouattara won the fray with more than 94 percent vote. But Ivory Coast was caught in a crisis after opposition leaders boycotted the ballot and vowed to set up a rival government in protest over a mandate they see as illegal. The constitution allowed only two terms for the president. But Ouattara in a referendum managed to amend the constitution, which had evoked sharp criticisms from different political parties and even from abroad.
In a television interview aired, the president had invited Henri Konan Bédié, president of the PDCI RDA (Democratic Party of Ivory Coast), to join him in a meeting in the next few days to have a frank and sincere dialogue to restore confidence. Hours before this invitation for dialogue, the constitutional court had ratified his controversial election win.
In the violence that broke out, a number of people had lost their lives in clashes among those who supported him and those who had opposed his candidature. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took note of the validation of the election by the Constitutional Council but expressed his concern about the rising tension, particularly on the restrictions on the movement of opposition leaders. There are a number of people who have fled the country to take refuge in neighboring countries like Liberia, Ghana, and Togo.
