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.
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