Former Ivorian President and Minister Provisionally Excluded from Election

Côte d'Ivoire's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has excluded former president Laurent Gbagbo and former youth minister Charles Blé Goudé from the provisional electoral list for this year's presidential election, scheduled for late October.

The IEC cited both men's initial convictions related to the 2010-2011 post-election crisis as grounds for their exclusion. The crisis began when Gbagbo, running for reelection in 2010 against current presidentAlassane Ouattara, refused to concede defeat after the IEC declared Ouattara the winner.

Despite international pressure and observers confirming the election as free and fair, Gbagbo held a swearing-in ceremony after the Constitutional Council reviewed the result in his favor. This sparked deadly conflict between forces loyal to Gbagbo and those supporting Ouattara.

In April 2011, UN and French troops helped depose Gbagbo. Both he and Blé Goudé faced charges at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity but were ultimately acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Gbagbo received a 20-year sentence for looting the Central Bank of West African States.

Although President Ouattara later pardoned Gbagbo, this conviction reportedly forms the basis for his exclusion from the provisional electoral list. Gbagbo was the first major figure to announce his candidacy; he held a rally last year, declaring his innocence and commitment to improving living conditions for Ivorians.

The Youth and People's Congress (COJEP), Blé Goudé's party, and the opposition Popular African Congress for the Ivorian People have criticized these exclusions. COJEP spokesperson Me Serge Ouraga said, "It's not just a candidacy that is being blocked, it's the people's right to freely choose their leaders that is being confiscated. An election that excludes is an election that divides, and a divided election is a threat to peace."

A 15-day dispute period will begin on March 22, allowing for reviews of omitted registrations, voter removals, and other concerns. The final electoral list will be released in June.