Ivorian Opposition Demands Fair Polls in Nationwide Protests
An opposition supporter waves a flag of Ivory Coast and the African People's Party of Ivory Coast, during a march for inclusive elections in Abidjan, on Aug. 9.
Photographer: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images
Ivory Coast opposition parties staged protests across the West African nation on Saturday to demand that their leaders be allowed to take part in presidential elections scheduled for October.
Tens of thousands of people heeded the call by parties led by former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse AG Chief Executive Officer Tidjane Thiam to register their disapproval of their exclusion from the vote. Octogenarian President Alassane Ouattara announced last week that he plans to seek a fourth term in the ballot, which he’s expected to win with the most popular opposition candidates now absent.