Ivory Coast’s PDCI issues strong warning ahead of presidential nomination convention

The Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) has issued a stern warning to potential candidates within its ranks ahead of its upcoming Convention, where the party is set to officially nominate its candidate for the October 2025 presidential election.

“The president of the PDCI has informed me that we will hold a Convention, and anyone who wishes to be a candidate will have the opportunity, even if certain exceptions must be made,” announced party spokesperson Bredoumy Soumaila during a press briefing on Thursday.

Soumaila also revealed plans for the party’s Political Bureau to convene prior to the Convention.

He added, “Before the Convention, the team tasked with updating the PDCI-RDA’s governance programme will be put in place by the party’s president.”

In a clear message to party members, Soumaila cautioned those who might consider running as independent candidates after losing at the Convention.

“Do not run as independents after your defeat, and do not waste our time. I will be extremely disappointed if that happens,” he warned.

As the PDCI gears up for the upcoming electoral battles, the party has ramped up its efforts to bolster membership. By the end of August 2024, its membership drive had signed up over 23,000 new members. Additionally, the “one member, ten recruits” campaign has gathered more than 50,000 voter registration applications.

Highlighting concerns about the nation’s electoral commission, Soumaila noted that the ruling party controls the vast majority of local electoral commission offices. “Out of 630 local electoral commission offices (CEL), the ruling party has more than 620 presidents,” he claimed.

He further criticized the representation process within the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), pointing out that the president of the republic, the Ministry of the Interior, and non-parliamentary parties are all involved in selecting commission members.

Soumaila also raised concerns over young voters’ inability to obtain national identity cards, which prevents them from voting.

These issues, he argued, reinforce the opposition’s distrust of the current electoral system. “We call for an audit of the current electoral list and reforms to the CEI,” he demanded.

The PDCI, one of the main opposition parties, hosted a significant event on August 9, 2024, where it signed a joint agreement with other major opposition parties at its headquarters in Abidjan.

The agreement aims to push for transparent and inclusive elections.

The coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups is calling for greater electoral participation for all Ivorians, reforms to the Independent Electoral Commission, and a thorough audit of the voter registry.