The former Head of State, deposed in a coup in 1999, is preparing his last attempt at a comeback in Ivory Coast: Henri Konan Bedie sees himself as the worthy heir to the “father of the nation”, Felix Houphouet-Boigny. “If I am elected, this will be my last mandate,” Henri Konan Bedie said when he announced his candidature for the presidential election at the beginning of October.

The 76-year-old leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PCDI) was deposed by a coup d’état on Christmas Eve 1999. He is now embarking on his last campaign with gusto and determination. Eleven years after suffering the indignity of being deposed by General Robert Guei, the chosen heir of “father of the nation” Felix Houphouet-Boigny is convinced he can win. HKB’s election slogan - “Progress for all, happiness for each” – has galvanised crowds by cultivating nostalgia for the Houphouet-Boigny years, while staunchly defending his record as president before the Christmas Eve coup. The much delayed vote, the first in over ten years, is due on October 31.