Mr. Alassane Ouattara inherited a sharply divided country, he largely owes his rise to power, to a loose coalition of rebel groups from the north, with majority of them making their way into different roles in government after the end of December 2010.
The conflict looming currently in Ivory Coast is a by-product of deep-seated split with regards to ethnicity and religion. Politicians often tapped into these differences to consolidate their monopoly on power and by that drag the country towards civil war.
History deeply will remember the headlines following an election dispute that sparked violence between supporters of former president Laurent Gbagbo and then, opposition leader Alassane Ouattara who is now president.
The dispute revolved around results announced by the electoral commission which crowned Ouattara the winner in a second round of voting for the presidency. Gbagbo, whose stronghold is in the south of the country, rejected the results and refused to step down, alleging that there was rigging in the opposition home base in northern Ivory coast inflated votes for Ouattara.
Subsequently, Ivory coast was thrown into political deadlock. Both politicians were sworn – in as presidents and each appointed a cabinet. The international community endorsed Ouattara as president and called on Gbagbo to step down.
Ouattara, who has been in power since 2011, had mentioned not to run after his second term but suddenly changed his mind after the death of his most trusted successor, prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who suffered a heart failure in July 2020.
By August 2020, the Ivorian constitutional council, officially validated the presidential candidacy bid of the current President Alassane Ouattara, who is seeking a contentious third term, the highest court of the Ivorian land cleared only four out of the 44 candidates for the 2020 presidential election.
The 2020 polls have three giants of politics; Alassane Ouattara is 78 years, Henri Konan Bedie is 86 and the disqualified presidential candidate, Laurent Gbagbo is 75 years. The 86 years old man was president of the country from December 7, 1993 to December 24, 1999.
After 20 years of Laurent Gbagbo in opposition, he rose to power in 2000 when military leader Robert Guei’s alleged attempts to rig elections were defeated by street protests in the main city, Abidjan. Mr. Gbagbo by April 2011, was forced from office, captured in a bunker at the presidential palace by UN and French-backed forces supporting his rival Alassane Ouattara.
Some henchmen of these old men believe strongly that their age is an asset to the country but what could be the use of experience that comes with old age, when there is no strength to pursue their dreams for the country when the youth will die in a civil war as a result of their political ambitions?
One would have thought, that these old men would have looked beyond their interest and that of their party, collaborate and reform the nation from its current economic status.
With unemployment on the rise, inequality between the poor and the political elite keeps widening, ascending rate of rural poverty, Ivorians are waiting for results after chaotic presidential ballot, will the bet on peace win?
By: Kwesi Atuahene
Employment Activist
