Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara on Monday announced he would propose amendments to the country’s constitution, even as he rubbished claims by the opposition that he plans to sideline opponents from this year’s presidential elections, reported Reuters.
“In the first quarter of the year, I will put to parliament proposals for modifications to the constitution,” Ouattara said in ceremonies to mark the New Year.
He said the proposed modifications were intended to make the constitution more coherent but did not provide any details. Making any changes to the constitution would require approval from the parliament, which is controlled by Ouattara’s allies.
The modifications will make the constitution “more coherent… to further consolidate the state of law and bring institutions closer to our fellow citizens,” the president said.
Ouattara also addressed opposition’s allegations of introducing age restrictions that would make former presidents Laurent Gbagbo, 74, and Henri Konan Bedie, 85, ineligible to run for office in October. The move would also exclude Ouattara from the presidential race.
“I wish to make clear that this is not a maneuver to push anyone aside,” he said.
Notably, Ouattara has not yet announced whether he will be a candidate in October.
Tensions between Ouattara and his political rivals has increased in recent weeks and raised fears of election-related violence in Ivory Coast, where a disputed vote set off a civil war in 2010 that killed over 3,000 people.
Ouattara came to power in 2011 after defeating Gbagbo at the polls and his forces in the ensuing war. While Ouattara said he wants to step down after a decade in power and turn over the reins to a new generation, he also reaffirmed that he will run if Gbagbo and Bedie are candidates.
Ouattara was likely to step down in 2020 but he declared in 2018 that the new constitution had reset term limits that would have barred him from running again. Gbagbo and Bedie have not yet confirmed whether they will run.
