Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of a power transition in the country following last month’s controversial elections, reported Africa News.
“For all those who have an idea about a transition, they can always dream. There will be no transition in Ivory Coast,” Ouattara said at a political meeting of his party, the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), in Abidjan.
The president’s statement came a week after he agreed to hold talks with the opposition which had boycotted the election and called for civil disobedience over Ouattara’s candidacy. The president still maintains the approval of a new constitution in 2016 allowed him to restart his mandate.
Ouattara was declared as the winner as he garnered more than 94 percent of the vote. The opposition has rejected Ouattara’s re-election as they considered a third term unconstitutional, and want him to give up power if the dialogue is to continue to put an end to the electoral violence.
About 85 people have been killed and more than 480 others got injured in pre-and post-election violence in the Ivory Coast.
In his speech on Tuesday, the Ivory Coast president said he was “outraged” by the violence and by the fact that nearly 1.5 million Ivorians were unable to vote because of “civil disobedience” by the opposition.
“If we don’t want to vote, we don’t vote. But we do not have the right to prevent others from voting,” he said.
Ouattara asked party officials to visit violence-affected areas and make efforts for reconciliation. He said that his government’s objective is to restore confidence and to continue to work for the country’s development.
According to a report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), about 10,087 people have fled the Ivory Coast due to election-related tensions and communal violence following the disputed presidential polls held last month.
