Opposition candidates blame irregularities on the Independent Electoral Commission.

“I want to assure each and every candidate that the Independent Electoral Commission will remain faithful to its legal engagements as the impartial, just and vigilant referee of the competition that will start from 0 hour this evening.” This was the declaration of the President of the Independent Electoral Commission of Cote d’Ivoire, Youssouf Bakayoko as he announced the start of campaigns for the October 25, 2015 presidential election.

In a message to the nation, particularly to electors, Youssouf Bakayoko on Friday, October 9, 2015 said the Chiefs of Staff of the Ivorian army in conjunction with the United Nations force (ONUCI) and other stakeholders, have taken all measures to make the electoral process secured in order to guarantee that all the 10 candidates have the rights and freedom to carry out campaigns and that all the electors have the rights and freedom to vote.

He used the opportunity to call on candidates and citizens to demonstrate a high sense of fair-play, good faith, respect the code of good conduct during the campaign period that will run from October 9 to October 23, 2015, the polling operation and the post-electoral period.

The declaration and appeals of Youssouf Bakayoko would make one hastily conclude that the electoral process is void of protests and that the Independent Electoral Commission is accepted by all. This is far from being the case as the demands of the opposition from the period of setting up the commission up to the period of its baptism of fire being the organization of the presidential election persist.

Two candidates who do not agree with the way the elections are organized have declared the suspension of the participation from the process. Former National Assembly President, Mamadou Koulibaly one of the 10 candidates in the race for the presidency has declared that he was suspending his participation in the election.  He is the second candidate to announce the suspension coming after the former Foreign Affairs Minister Amara Essy.

Opposition Demands

The Independent Electoral Commission is at the centre of the opposition protests.  News agencies cite Mamadou Koulibaly   as stating on twitter that the Ivorian election is deliberately sabotaged by those who have the duty to organize democratic elections, pointing an accusing finger at the electoral commission and government.

He had earlier announced in a rally bringing together party leaders of the National Coalition for Change (CNC) that there were some candidates who were not ready to take part in the presidential race under prevailing conditions and gave incumbent President Alassane Ouattara a 48-hour ultimatum to open discussions.

The opposition candidates find fault with the composition of the electoral commission which they say is pro-the authorities in power, the electoral list and orientation of the State-owned Ivorian Radio Television (RTI). Charles Konan Banny, designated last Thursday as president of CNC reportedly said that if the conditions were not favourable, the coalition will not participate.

It is within the precarious context that other political actors have been calling calm and serenity. Aichatou Mindaoudou, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Cote d’Ivoire while appealing for calm and serenity, insisted that candidates instill the culture of peace in their supporters. After the candidates signed the Code of Good Conduct, the Mediator of the Republic called for appeased elections.