0. Defense Minister Hamed Bakayoko is being touted as a possible presidential candidate. The Ghanaian presidential election is shaping up to be a repeat of the 2016 election, which was a repeat of the one before it. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy was growing at an annual rate of 10 percent. As May’s election approaches, tension is running high between the ruling party, CNDD-FDD, and main opposition party, CNL. Build up of October 2020 election in Ivory Coast. "In March, he made a great play in saying it is time to hand over to a the new generation," Paul Melly, consulting fellow for the Chatham House Africa Program, told DW. Burkina Faso is now at the epicenter of a spreading Islamic insurgency in the Sahel, which even the support of the French military, has seen the killings and attacks on hundreds of Burkinabes. Contact The election will be the second since the popular uprising of 2014 that forced out Compaoré and may its most crucial as large swathes of the northern regions of the country have become overrun by terrorist activity. The concerns have been exacerbated by the drama after the government issued an arrest warrant for presidential candidate Guillaume Soro in December. Of recent, African leaders have taken to shutting down of social media during these tense election periods as has been seen in Uganda, Chad, Gabon, Burundi and Togo. Among them is former Ouattara ally Guillaume Soro. Our emails are made to shine in your inbox, with something fresh every morning, afternoon, and weekend. N’Guessan, a former prime minister and telecoms engineer, is running against Ouattara for a second time after losing to him in the 2015 presidential election with about 9.2% of votes. Millions of Africans will go to the polls in 2020 to participate in the most sacred of all democracy’s rituals, to elect their leaders. Ivory Coast has a very young population, with a median age of under 19. Many fear it could spark another conflict. "He is also the principal architect of the planned currency reform to replace the CFA franc with a sort of first version of the planned new West African currency, the eco.". In Ivory Coast, the cocoa sector is on the verge of a new crisis. However, they are often victims of clandestine exploitation and the work is notoriously exhausting under the blazing sun. But many don't have Ivorian citizenship because the government demands that at least one of their parents were born here — difficult to prove without proper documents. A masked Ouattara voted in the plush Cocody neighbourhood of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's main city and economic hub. The country’s lawmakers last year okayed reforms limiting a president to two terms in office but Gnassingbé will be allowed to run for a further two terms if he wins. By not clearing up the situation quickly, he could stoke further tensions. There is a sense of foreboding to Ivory Coast’s upcoming presidential election, due to be held on Oct. 31. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara must tread carefully to keep preelection tensions at bay. The country’s lawmakers last year oka… The-48-year-old lives in France, where he sought refuge after he was accused of corruption when making it clear his previous intentions to run for the presidency. Gbagbo, 74, could run for president after the International Criminal Court in The Hague acquitted him of crimes against humanity. But it seems likely that his decision was the result of the fallout from the unclear political situation after the sudden death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly on July 8. ... Oct. 31, 2020 at 4:02 p.m. UTC. And from exile in Belgium, 75-year-old Laurent Gbabgo has indicated that he is thinking about returning home to run for the opposition party FPI. In Burkina Faso, former Prime Minister Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo is running for president in October. Magufuli, 60, recently told his party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), that he had no intention to run for a third term when his current term ends in 2025, not 2020. Ivory Coast election: Opposition demands 'civil transition' Published 1 November 2020. The opposition itself meanwhile seems unable to put forward fresh faces. Published 30 October 2020. The election is taking place a decade after a post-electoral crisis left more than 3,000 people dead. Current president Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 when his father died, is expected to extend his rule as he’s now expected to be the sole candidate on the ballot. Beyond the usual mix of ethnic and religious debates and rivalry in African national elections, other factors have had an impact on both the outcome and perception of the outcome of elections. ... Ivory Coast national assembly elections. Young people are increasingly frustrated with the power structures of the country. The president might feel he has no choice left but to run himself, to guarantee the victory of his party, the Rally of the Republicans (RDR). Alassane Ouattara is a respected figure across West Africa and is regarded as an important regional statesman," Melly says, adding that the Ivorian President has been one of the main leaders coordinating West Africa's response to crises such as jihadism in Mali and other countries. An man patiently waits to buy karite or shea butter in the Savanes District. Since he had previously promised not to run again for a third term, the political waters of Ivory Coast are suddenly that much more muddied following a week of upheaval. The basilica can accommodate 200,000 people: 7,000 inside and the rest out on the esplanade. 28 Oct 2020 There will be presidential, and in some cases also parliamentary elections, in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Seychelles, Tanzania and Togo. Togo will hold the first African presidential election of the year on Feb. 22. There have been significant protests in Togo of the Gnassingbé’s dynastic rule, given the president’s father seized control himself in 1967. But at the same time Magufuli’s increasing authoritarianism and the international criticism he’s received will give hope to any opposition party that this might be the time to challenge the orthodoxy. An Ivory Coast electoral commission official in Abidjan distributes voting cards on October 14, 2020, ahead of the country's presidential election to be held on October 31, 2020. An Ivorian woman from the "Femmes battantes cooperative" (Women fighters cooperative) wraps attiéké, a traditional type of couscous made from cassava tubers. now at the epicenter of a spreading Islamic insurgency. Current president Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 when his father died, is expected to extend his rule as he’s now expected to be the sole candidate on the ballot. He is threatening to run for president in December in a country that is still largely controlled by violent rebel groups that came into place as a result of years of his misrule. | Mobile version, death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly. By providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy. Although they've officially been banned since 2015, skin-lightening products are still very popular here. Got an opinion about the stories making headlines? To complicate matters, Ivory Coast experienced another political twist at the beginning of this year when judges at the International Criminal Court ordered the release of former President Laurent Gbagbo in January. On Monday, he finally stepped down, citing personal reasons. We were already amid all these political complications then," he explained. These are the core obsessions that drive our newsroom—defining topics of seismic importance to the global economy. Some have even relocated to Ghana. "Tell me which fabric you wear and I will tell you who are," is a common saying among Ivorians. This could lead to unrest among his supporters, as the mood in the country, which already was tense before Coulibaly's sudden death from a heart attack, continues to grow angry. Ivory Coast is home to 62 different ethnic groups, including the Peuls. Women are also in charge of the production of attiéké: They grow the cassava, process it and sell it along the side the road. Print Print this page President Alassane Ouattara won a third term in Ivory Coast’s Oct. 31 election, with 94 percent of the vote. He has been in power since 2005 and his bid to stay in office has reopened all wounds that threaten to resurrect the Hutu/Tutsi divide that’s led to past bloody conflicts—one of which lasted from 1993 to 2005. One out of two women in the capital, Abidjan, uses skin lightening products. These are some of our most ambitious editorial projects. Presidential elections were held in Ivory Coast on 31 October 2020. Then his nomination of Coulibaly was seen by some as an attempt to keep his influence in politics through his close ally, contributing to the tense atmosphere in the West African country. Paul Melly, however, takes another position: "I think the Cote d'Ivoire state is a fairly effective machine. A man casts his vote during presidential election in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. Date: March 6. Akufo-Addo is milking his government’s Year of Return campaign which has won global plaudits in the way it’s opened up the country to the African-American and Caribbean diaspora. It's even bigger than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which it is basedon. Parliamentary elections will also take place in Chad, Mali, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Somalia, Liberia and Gabon. Former president John Mahama is the candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress that will take on incumbent president Nana Akufo-Addo, who is running for re-election for the New Patriotic Party. How the Russians will influence the election is up in the air. President Alassane Ouattara faces three challengers as he seeks a third term in Saturday’s vote. Expert Rinaldo Depagne calls this Ouattara's "system of exclusion," which he finds "is dangerous for the future.". In 2016 the EU withheld aid to Burundi due to Nkurunziza’s government repression of opposition party members. In response, Bedie has made moves to suggest that he or one of his proteges will run for the election in 2020. Driven by a lack of job prospects, many young people dream of starting a new life abroad, taking dangerous migration roads to reach the Mediterreanean. "Duncan's resignation was most probably also a result of a failure to reach an agreement with President Alassane Ouattara on a presidential candidacy," Rinaldo Depagne, West Africa project director at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told DW. Authorities have tried to reach a cross-party consensus over the management of the vote in order to reduce the prospect of unrest during and after the vote count. Used in make-up and food, shea butter is popular all over the world. Almost half of the population live below the poverty line, making it easy to exploit those in need of healthcare. These are some of the key presidential elections to watch. Ivory Coast President's Supporters and Opponents Clash Ahead of Election By Reuters , Wire Service Content Oct. 17, 2020 By Reuters , Wire Service Content Oct. 17, 2020, at 12:48 p.m. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1990 and was said to have cost $300 million (€277 million) to build. If he abides by the constitutional provisions, he will not seek a third term. A unique school teaches this art in the Akan culture. Ouattara hasn't got much time left to make up his mind. Komians are known for their ability to cure bad luck and predict the future and are often consulted by the country's most powerful politicans and local chiefs. ... 29 October 2020. Ivory Coast’s Presidential Election 2020 – The Gbagbo Factor. Rumors of Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan's resignation had been circulating in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, for several days. The 47-year old former rebel leader was set to return after a six-month absence to run for office. Its colorful, soccer-playing and prayerful authoritarian president Pierre Nkurunziza seems to have abandoned his effort to run for re-election after altering the constitution to allow him to run until the 2030s. The country's constitution only allows for two presidential terms. Experts hope that Allassane Ouattara will chose wisely whom to send into the running for his succession. We use cookies to improve our service for you. President Alassane Ouattara has promised to create 200,000 new jobs a year, but the youth aren't convinced. Most of it is imported from Asia. Duncan was considered a close ally of Ouattara's. The death of Coulibaly changed the Ivorian political landscape. Issued on: 06/08/2020 - 22:50. Approximately 600 tons of fake medicine have been seized over the last three years, representing a third of all medicines sold in the country. Still, many pharmacies make a lot of money discreetly selling such products, as well as doctors who can prescribe them. Without Ivorian citizenship, they can't open a bank account or get a driver's license, leaving many Peuls feeling like foreigners in their own country. Both men were close associates of former president Blaise Compaoré. The 66 year-old Ouédraogo will challenge current president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré who is running for re-election. Experts hope he will not step forward himself. Was this a free and fair election? In theory, each election will give Africans the opportunity to shape their future by electing their preferred leaders to man the affairs of their countries. Legal notice | August 4, 2019. But 78-year-old Ouattara has argued that since a new constitution was adopted in 2016, his two terms of office under the old constitution should not really be counted. The presidential election in Tanzania is going ahead despite suggestion by a Tanzanian lawmaker last April president John Magufuli would defeat any opponent against him so the country would do well to use the money for election to pursue developmental projects. "An election is the perfect opportunity to talk about the future of a country. In 2012 when they first ran against each other, Mahama, 61, won. Supporters of Ivory Coast's Coast opposition coalition parties hold signs during a rally to protest against president Alassane Ouattara's bid for a third term in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 10, 2020. As Witwatersrand University professor John Stremlau has written, “African politics is vulnerable to demagoguery and divisiveness but there’s also been a proliferation of progressive forces.” But that Stremlau meant moves by individual governments and institutions like the African Union to try and improve electoral processes and security. But as has been seen in previous elections in Africa, it’s never quite that straightforward even as some progress has been made. We will sample your texts in our show. Enjoy! Much will depend on his choice of a presidential candidate. Small traders are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with larger local cooperatives which hold most of the contracts with major chocolate manufacturers such as Mars or Nestle. He was a member of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), which was part of the reigning alliance Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP). The prospect of perpetuating that is equally risky for Ivory Coast. Bleaching dark skin can cause irreparable damage and can even lead to hypertension and diabetes. For him and the members of his party, which has won every elections since multiparty systems began in 1992, it is a forgone conclusion that he would win reelection in October. When the PDCI broke away from the alliance in 2018, Duncan remained loyal to Ouattara. Was this a free and fair election? Quattara was referring to two former presidents, Laurent Gbagbo and 85-year-old Henri Konan Bedie. A woman walks past a campaign poster of a presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara of the ruling RHDP coalition, in Attecoube district, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 23, 2020. There have been significant protests in Togo of the Gnassingbé’s dynastic rule, given the president’s father seized control himself in 1967. Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara has won a controversial third term in office in an election boycotted by the opposition. Kick off each morning with coffee and the Daily Brief (BYO coffee). In Bozizé’s absence, the Russians have signed a military deal with president Faustin Archange Touadéra, with Russian mercenaries protecting the president and working on finding peace in a country deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines. Send Facebook Twitter reddit EMail Facebook Messenger Web Whatsapp Web Telegram linkedin. © 2021 Deutsche Welle | Trading Economics lists 2019 GDP at just under seven percent, but in the second quarter of 2020 GDP dropped below four percent. Of the non-presidential elections it will worth watching Ethiopia parliamentary elections which are due in May or June and are another step in prime minister Abiy’s democratic reform agenda.. Sign up to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief here for news and analysis on African business, tech and innovation in your inbox. The PDCI-RDA nominated 86-year-old former President Henri Konan Bédié as their candidate. "I hope that the unfortunate events of the presidential elections of 2010 and 2020 are past us," he said, referring to poll-linked violence that claimed thousands of lives. Despite its economic strength, the country has a high poverty rate of 46 percent—indicating not everyone benefits from the strong economy. "But he was also sentenced to 20 years in prison in Ivory Coast and thus runs the risk of being arrested if he sets foot in the country,"  the ICG analyst added. Either way, the 2020 presidential election is bound to be contentious. Anger flares in Ivory Coast after election candidates barred AFP 9/15/2020 FBI investigating whether woman stole laptop from Pelosi's office to sell it to Russia At the point when the jihadists started operating in the north a few weeks ago, the government responded very rapidly. This income is often used to send their children to school. Signs like these are commonly seen outside shops selling 'Made in China' medicines. Date 03.11.2020 Keywords Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, Henri Konan Bedie, Pascal Affi N'Guessan, Ivory Coast 2020 election, Laurent Gbagbo; Send us your feedback.