By Fulbert Yao and Mevlut Ozkan
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast / ISTANBUL (AA) - Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara submitted his candidacy to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) on Tuesday, officially seeking a fourth term in the Oct. 25 presidential election.
Ouattara submitted his candidacy “in response to the call of my party, the RHDP, and to the call of many Ivorians who wish for us to continue together the path of peace, stability, and development that our country has known for several years," the West African leader said as he left the CEI in the capital Abidjan, surrounded by government officials.
He also called for peace, wishing that the presidential election take place in serenity.
"Let us preserve peace, remain courteous in the debate, and remember that Ivory Coast is above each of us ... I hope that this election will take place in peace and serenity for the consolidation of our democracy and the future of our beautiful country," Ouattara said.
Elected in 2010 and reelected in 2015 and 2020, the 83-year-old Ivorian president will run for a fourth term. This will be his second term under the third Republic, following changes to the constitution.
Nearly 50 other candidacies, including those of main opponents Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, have also been received by the Independent Electoral Commission, despite their disqualification from the race. Independent candidacies make up the largest group.
On July 29, Ouattara announced that he was a candidate because the country was “facing unprecedented security, economic, and monetary challenges, the management of which requires experience."
He also promised that his new term would focus on generational transition with the team he plans to assemble.