Major opposition leaders removed from Ivory Coast election list

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Major opposition leaders removed from Ivory Coast election list

This decision cannot be challenged and can end the hope of Tidjane Thiam running for president [Getty Images]

The judiciary said the main opposition leader of the Ivory Coast has been removed from the election list, and the judiciary said he is not eligible to run for the October presidential election.

Tidjane Thiam gave up his French citizenship to run for president, but the court argued Thursday that the former credit boss confiscated his Ivory Coast nationality when he obtained French citizenship in 1987.

Thiam said the court's ruling was “an act of democratic vandalism that would deprive millions of voters of their right to vote.”

He was disqualified only a week after he was identified as a center-right Democratic presidential candidate – PDCI.

The director RHDP party has not announced its candidate yet, but the current president, Alassane Ouattara, 83, may run for a fourth term.

Three other famous figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo, were banned from running.

Thiam responded to the ruling: “It’s no surprise that this court ruling is as our support among voters grows.

“After 15 years in power, RHDP leaders have been scared. They want to monopolize power rather than face voter judgment.”

After becoming the first Ivory Island to pass the prestigious Polytechnic Engineering School in France, he returned to the Ivory Coast and embraced politics.

In 1998, at the age of 36, he became the Minister of Planning before the PDCI was removed from the coup the following year.

He then moved abroad to pursue a successful business career.

Thiam has held senior positions in leading international businesses such as Aviva, Prudential and Credit Suisse. He resigned from the latter in 2020 after the spy scandal, although he has been cleared of any involvement.