Ivory Coast opposition parties form coalition ahead of presidential poll

YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast

Dozens of opposition parties in Ivory Coast have formed an alliance ahead of the country’s president poll due to take place in October.

The Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation is hoping to push demands for electoral reform and impose a balance of power on the ruling party.

Heavyweights include the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), the country's oldest party, the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC) of former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, and Charles Blé Goudé's Young Patriots of Ivory Coast, COJEP. 

“For its part, our coalition decided today to take another step forward in its project to strengthen the grouping of the opposition by formalising this structure,” said Simone Gbagbo on behalf of the alliance.

But one major party is missing from the new coalition, that of former president Laurent Gbagbo.

With the opposition in three blocs, there’s a risk of votes being divided among them which could benefit the ruling party. Unless the new coalition manages to rally support beyond its ranks.

Political analyst, Christophe Koffi, believes the President Alassane Ouattara’s party will have something to worry about if the vote goes to a second round.

“Unlike in Cameroon, the political parties have formed a bloc and the electorate will be very large around this bloc,” he said.

“If they manage to force the party in power to a second round, there will be a grouping of all the opposition voters around whoever comes in pole position and I think that this could upset the ruling party.”

Koffi said it “should not underestimate this coalition that has been put in place”.

With the campaign shaping up to be a tense one, the question remains whether the newly formed alliance will have an impact on the October elections.