Ivory Coast court bars former leader Gbagbo, ex-PM Soro from presidential vote
Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara (C,L) shakes hands with head of the Ivorian Constitutionnal council Mamadou Kone (L) on January 16, 2017, in Abidjan. © Sia Kambou, AFP
The Ivory Coast’s constitutional court on Monday barred former strongman Laurent Gbagbo from standing in the upcoming presidential election, but cleared the path for President Alassane Ouattara to seek a contentious third term.
The court also barred former prime minister Guillaume Soro from putting his hat into the ring for the presidential election to be held on October 31.
It ruled out some of Ouattara’s rivals, such as Gbagbo and Soro, but allowed the candidacy of former president Henri Konan Bédié.
In all, the court gave the electoral go-ahead to only four of the 44 would-be presidential candidates.
