YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Catholic bishops in the Ivory Coast, also called Côte d’Ivoire, have called on the electoral commission to ensure “free, fair, transparent, credible, and inclusive elections” as the nation prepares for general elections in October.
The prelates made the appeal at the conclusion of their Plenary Assembly, held from January 20 to January 26 in Boudoukou, in the eastern part of the country. They emphasized that a transparent and credible election would inspire public confidence in the electoral process and help prevent the post-electoral violence that has historically plagued the West African nation.
One of the worst post-electoral crises in Ivory Coast was recorded between 2010-2011. Supporters of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and challenger Alassane Ouattara clashed over disputed election outcomes, resulting in the deaths of at least 3000 people, and the displacement of tens of thousands of Ivoirians.
Gbago himself was arrested in April 2011 and transferred to The Hague in November that year after the deadly violence caused by his refusal to accept defeat by Alassane Ouattara. He was accused of crimes against humanity.
Fast forward to the 2020 presidential election and the threat of violence loomed large once again. President Alassane Ouattara’s controversial bid for a third term deemed unconstitutional by the opposition, ignited widespread unrest. The opposition’s call for civil disobedience and a boycott of the election led to violent clashes between supporters of different political factions.
The violence left at least 83 people dead and 633 injured, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that around 3,200 Ivorians fled the country to avoid the violence.
In addition, property destruction was rampant, with homes, businesses, and public infrastructure targeted and damaged. The economic impact of the violence was significant, disrupting daily life and hindering the country’s development.
Ouattara, however, won the election in a landslide, defeating a divided opposition, and in efforts to lower the political temperature, he promised to free political prisoners, and allowed Gbagbo-who had already been acquitted by the ICC, to return home.
Catholic bishops are still apprehensive that the scars of electoral violence that have remained in the collective memory of the people, could spark renewed violence were this year’s elections to be conducted under circumstances that don’t inspire confidence.
“There is no doubt that the Ivorian nation is at a crossroads in this jubilee year, which is also the year of the presidential election,” the bishops said.
They said that “the way in which its [Ivorian] daughters and sons behave at this time is decisive for its survival.”
The bishops urged the faithful to pray so that “the authorities and the opposition do what is necessary to save the Ivorian nation” and prepare “peaceful and trouble-free elections.”
For a problem free election to happen, the Church leaders say the regulatory bodies need to be “vigilant and more honest in the exercise of their functions and activities.”
“This recommendation requires integrity and resistance to all attempts at corruption and pressure, in order to avoid compromising their ethical responsibility to the nation,” the bishops said in their declaration.
“The conference encourages politicians to respect the values of integrity and decency, while condemning all forms of vote buying and selling, which it considers illegal and inadmissible. It also advises political parties and actors to refrain from such practices,” the statement continues.
The bishops’ concerns have also been raised by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel. In December, it encouraged “national stakeholders and election management bodies in Côte d’Ivoire to intensify their efforts to reach a consensus and ensure that the 2025 elections are inclusive and participatory, with electoral processes and specific solutions that respond to the aspirations of the population.”
Several political figures have already signaled their desire to run for the October Presidential election. Former president Laurent Gbagbo (2000-2011) has been nominated by the African Peoples’ Party – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) – but his eligibility is still questionable due to a court conviction. His ex-wife, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, has also announced her candidacy.
The main opposition party, the Parti démocratique de la Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), has not yet nominated its candidate, but its chairman, Tidjane Thiam, is expected to enter the fray, where he may face internal completion from former Trade Minister Jean-Louis Billon, who has declared his candidacy. Finally, former prime minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan (2000-2003) has been nominated by the Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI).
The most controversial candidacy, however, may come from President Ouattara himself. Having been in power since 2011, he had promised to hand over power to a new generation in 2020. However, his chosen successor, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, died suddenly in July, just a few months before the 2020 election. Consequently, Alassane Ouattara decided to run for a third term, thereby violating the two-term presidential mandate of five years each.
The president hasn’t yet said if he will seek a 4th mandate, but did tell the diplomatic corps recently that he “had not yet taken the decision” on whether to seek re-election, even as he insisted he still had the zeal to serve his country.
The bishops didn’t address the issue of the President’s candidature, but did recognize what they said was Ouattara’s commitment to “guarantee fair and transparent conditions for all candidates.”
They said a free, fair and transparent election will truly make 2025 a jubilee year.
“In this year of the Jubilee of Hope, we do not want any more deaths, we want to sing of hope,” they said.
