Ivory Coast: towards a unique Bédié candidacy for the nomination of the PDCI

The former Ivorian head of state and president of the PDCI, Henri Konan Bédié, during a meeting in Daoukro, April 19, 2018, during which he announces that his party will present a candidate for the presidential election of 2020. SIA KAMBOU / AFP

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In Côte d'Ivoire, the PDCI accepts the candidacy of Henri Konan Bédié for the presidential election in October, but fails that of his challenger Kouadio Konan Bertin. With the approach of the election, the rare obstacles which were erected internally to the investiture of the octogenarian, former head of state, almost all fell.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan,  Pierre Pinto

There is little doubt that Henri Konan Bédié, 86, will be invested as a PDCI candidate in the October presidential election. The entire machine of the former single party got under way for this. The octogenarian rallied to him the "  young  " who could claim to compete, like Jean-Louis Billon, 56, who became his standard-bearer . “  You will see an elderly captain surrounded by young people. You will have a young vice-president on this team,  ”said the former minister in an interview with Life TV this week. As for his own ambitions? This is only a postponement,  " promised Jean-Louis Billon. 

Only another fifty-something dared to file an application against Henri Konan Bédié. Kouadio Konan Bertin, better known by his initials, KKB , who had already competed outside the presidential race in 2015, collecting less than 4% of the vote and a long ostracization. This Thursday, the PDCI's nominating committee rescued its file. Contacted by RFI, KKB, who invoked internal democracy to justify his candidacy, said he expected to be formally notified of the decision, which seemed to surprise him. “  This committee is not impartial. He is appointed by a candidate. It should have been joint  ”, he denounces, not excluding an appeal.

After a few days of examining any disputes, the final list of candidate (s) will be published in the middle of next week. Then local conventions will designate the candidate on July 25 and 26. Henri Konan Bédié has before him a boulevard to the investiture.

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  • Ivory Coast
  • Ivory Coast Politics
  • Henri Konan Bédié

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