Ivory Coast opposition leader removed from electoral list ahead of presidential election

YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast

Tidjane Thiam, leader of Ivory Coast's main opposition party, has been removed from the electoral list ahead of the October 25 presidential election.

On Tuesday, April 22, the court ruled that Thiam had lost his Ivorian nationality, a decision that is final and cannot be appealed.

According to his lawyer, Me Ange Rodrigue Dadjé, the court determined that Thiam lost his Ivorian nationality when he acquired French citizenship, and therefore granted the request to remove him from the electoral list.

Nationality has been a key issue in Thiam's campaign for months. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam acquired French citizenship in 1987 but renounced it in March to meet the eligibility requirements for the presidency, as candidates cannot hold dual nationality.

Thiam's supporters argue that the ruling is a political maneuver to block his candidacy, citing Article 48 of the 1960s nationality code, which states that acquiring another nationality results in the loss of Ivorian nationality. However, this rule does not apply to those who are dual nationals by birth.

Thiam's legal team presented evidence showing that he is also French by birth, through his father, but the court rejected this argument.

Thiam's camp has condemned what they describe as "maneuvers" by the government to prevent his run for office.

Other opposition figures, including former president Laurent Gbagbo, his ally Charles Blé Goudé, and ex-prime minister Guillaume Soro, have also been removed from the electoral list due to legal issues.