Ivory Coast opposition leader Thiam is excluded from the list of presidential candidates

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast ‘s main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, has been excluded from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said Wednesday.

Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October.

Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March.

Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: “If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.”

Thiam, president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party’s primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election.

Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup.

The Democratic Party of Ivory Coast said the exclusion was “unfair” and called for national demonstrations ”to defend democracy.”