Guillaume Soro is running for the next year’s presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire, the man himself announced October 12 in Valencia, Spain, during a meeting with his supporters.
“There are some pro-Soro parties that have chosen me as their candidate. So yes, I’m going to be a candidate,” the ex-rebel and former Prime Minister said.
Last July, the National Assembly adopted a new law for the upcoming presidential election, aimed at reforming the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), the body that manages elections in the country. But such reform is heavily contested by most of the Ivorian opposition members.
A former close friend of President Alassane Ouattara, Guillaume Soro launched a political movement earlier this year after tensions with the current government, which led him to resign from his position as Speaker of Parliament.
For the time being, none of the other challengers to the post of President of the Republic has yet officially announced their candidacy. In the meantime, it’s clear if President Ouattara is running again for a possible third term, which would be his second term under the new constitution adopted in 2016.
“I won't be happy if I don't pass the first round ballot” of the election, said Guillaume Soro. “If I get to the second round with the most votes, I will have the support of the other opposition parties. I'm still young. I have 30 to 40 years of political life ahead of me,” he added.
Moutiou Adjibi Nourou