The standoff continues in Côte d'Ivoire. The homes of the main opponents who denounce the re-election of Alassane Ouattara have always been surrounded by the police since the opposition ...

Ivory Coast: for the RHDP, the opposition has committed an "insurrectionary act"

Police officers blocking access to the home of candidate Henri Konan Bédié in Abidjan, November 3, 2020. Issouf SANOGO / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

The standoff continues in Côte d'Ivoire.

The homes of the main opponents who denounce the re-election of Alassane Ouattara have still been surrounded by the police since the opposition announced its intention to create a national transitional council.

The RHDP, the ruling party, claims that the opposition has committed an insurrectionary act undermining state security.

Publicity

With our special

correspondent

in Abidjan,

Laurent Correau

The ruling party, the RHDP, refuses to speak of house arrest.

A good source within the party told us that the opposition leaders were in fact detained in their homes as a preventive measure, and that awaiting a judicial investigation.

For his part Adama Bictogo, the executive director of the RHDP, believes that the opposition has gone too far: “

Already while the elections are being organized, the president in office remains.
So he is in office.
The institutions operate.
The state is not bankrupt.
How can we accept that the opposition can set up

a parallel government

?
It is an attack on state security.
For me, it is insurrectionary, unconstitutional and it is unacceptable.

We are not in a bankrupt state, repeated Adama Bictogo in the interview he gave to RFI.

The announced creation of a transitional government is for him a serious act, a legal procedure is underway for act of sedition.

An illegal "blockade" for the opposition

And for their part, the opposition lawyers denounce the illegality of

the surrounding of the homes of the four leaders

In a statement, the group of opposition lawyers explains that 11 opposition officials were arrested Tuesday at the residence of Henri Konan Bédié.

As well as two lawyers who were released after the intervention of the President of the Bar and other personalities.

Opposition lawyers indicate that in his capacity as former president, Henri Konan Bédié can only be deprived of his liberty by a special procedure.

They recall that Maurice Kakou Guikahué, the executive secretary of the PDCI, who was arrested, enjoys parliamentary immunity.

They also indicate that what they call "

the blockade

" imposed on the residences of opponents does not fall within any legislative and regulatory framework applicable in Côte d'Ivoire, so "

it must be qualified as sequestration

The opposition lawyers ask the public prosecutor and the public prosecutor to put an end, without delay, to “

these illegal acts of judicial police officers placed under their authority

”.

The advice of Mr. Bédié and the opposition leaders ask the public prosecutor "

to put an end to these illegal acts.

The RHDP is told that these preventive measures will be lifted once the opposition returns to the constitutional order.

"The rule of law must prevail"

For its part, the international community

continues to call for appeasement

and respect for the rule of law in Côte d'Ivoire.

This Wednesday, France and the United States condemned the violence and tensions surrounding the presidential election.

“

France calls on all actors to put an end to the provocations and acts of intimidation which have persisted since the election.
The rule of law must prevail,

”declared the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agnès Von der Mühl, during a press briefing in Paris.

It thus challenges both the opposition and the Ivorian authorities.

France notes, like the European Union, "

the strong disparities in electoral participation according to the regions

" and simply takes note of the provisional results of the election.

France finally underlines "

the urgency of resuming political dialogue in order to be able to turn the page on violence and division

The United States "

calls on political leaders to show their commitment to the democratic process and the rule of law

In a statement, the US Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire urges authorities to investigate all incidents to hold those responsible to account: “

Grievances must be resolved peacefully and transparently within the legal framework.

Ivory Coast: for the RHDP, the opposition has committed an "insurrectionary act"

Ivory Coast: for the RHDP, the opposition has committed an "insurrectionary act"

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