A new "tightened" government was appointed on Wednesday, April 20, in Côte d'Ivoire.

The main ministers were kept on, shortly after the swearing in of new vice-president Tiemoko Meyliet Koné to a post that had been vacant for almost two years. 

The main change in the new government team is the reduction in the number of ministers, 32 including 7 women, against 41 in the previous one.

President Alassane Ouattara had hoped that Prime Minister Patrick Achi, reappointed on Tuesday after resigning last week with the entire government, would form a "tightened" team to "take into account the global economic situation" and thus reduce "expenditure of State".

Kandia Camara, close to the president and pillar of the ruling party, retains her post as Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to the decree read by the secretary general of the presidency Abdourahmane Cissé.

Téné Birahima Ouattara, the president's influential brother, also keeps the strategic defense portfolio, still with the title of minister of state.

Third Minister of State in protocol order, Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, remains in Agriculture.

General Vagondo Diomandé, another faithful of the Head of State, is taken back to the Interior.

The Minister of National Reconciliation, Kouadio Konan Bertin, targeted by an investigation after accusations of rape last September, is maintained in his post.

Two new personalities are joining Patrick Achi's new team, including Françoise Remarck, boss of Canal+ Côte d'Ivoire, appointed to Culture.

The posts of state secretaries in the previous government have been abolished and certain ministries merged.

The succession of Alassane Ouattara in question

Earlier in the day, Vice President Tiemoko Meyliet Koné was sworn in after being appointed the day before by President Ouattara. 

"I solemnly swear and on my honor to respect the Constitution, to conscientiously fulfill the duties of my office, in strict compliance with its obligations and with loyalty to the President of the Republic", declared Tiemoko Meyliet Koné.

"May the President of the Republic withdraw his confidence in me if I betray this oath," he added to the members of the Constitutional Council who had come to the presidential palace in Abidjan for the occasion.

Little known to the general public, this economist has had a long career at the Central Bank of West African States, of which he has been governor since 2011. He was also chief of staff to Prime Minister Guillaume Soro between 2007 and 2010, Minister of Construction, then special adviser to the President of the Republic Alassane Ouattara, in charge of economic and monetary issues.

The post of vice-president, sanctuary in the last constitutional reform of 2016, had been vacant since July 2020 and the resignation of Daniel Kablan Duncan for "personal convenience". 

According to article 62 of the Constitution, the vice-president becomes president "by right" in the event of vacancy "by death, resignation or absolute impediment" of the latter.

"Article 62 makes the vice-president in the event of a vacancy of power, not an interim, but by right a president of the Republic responsible for continuing and completing the current mandate", recalled Wednesday the president of the Constitutional Council , Mamadou Koné.

These appointments within the executive relaunch the question of the succession of Alassane Ouattara, although he has not yet officially pronounced on his will or not to seek a new mandate during the next presidential election of 2025.

With AFP

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