The Ivorian Parliament has approved the constitutional amendment bill, which seeks to revise specific provisions primarily concerning the functioning of legislative and executive powers.

The Ivorian parliament (the Senate and the National Assembly) approved the constitutional amendment bill, by an 88.5% vote, the Senate announced in a press release on Tuesday, July 25.

The bill was adopted through a secret ballot, resulting in 301 votes in favor, 35 votes against, and 4 abstentions. The proposed amendments include the establishment of two regular sessions in Parliament, one from January to June and the other from October to December. Furthermore, the bill aims to grant the President of the Republic the right to propose amendments through government members.

Jean Sansan Kambilé, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Human Rights, explained that this amendment empowers the government to suggest changes to parliamentary texts during sessions. This approach aims to improve legislation by considering relevant new information and reducing the need for modifying texts.

President Alassane Ouattara announced this constitutional modification during a congress convened in Abidjan on April 25.

During the session held on July 25, 2023, the opposition did not present a unified stance on the matter. The Parti des Peuples Africaines - Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI), which represents the party of former President Laurent Gbagbo, opposed the revision, while the Parti Démocratique de Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI), led by Henri Konan Bédié, voted in favor of it.

Charlène N’dimon (intern)