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Ivory Coast Court Bars Tidjane Thiam from Presidential Election

The unappealable ruling cites Thiam's former French nationality, intensifying political tensions ahead of the October vote.

FILE - Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Credit Suisse, speaks at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum, Sept. 25, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
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Tidjane Thiam, the head of Ivory Coast's main opposition party, has been barred from the country's presidential election after a court ruled his nationality was invalid

Overview

  • Tidjane Thiam, leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), has been disqualified from the October presidential election by a court ruling on April 22, 2025.
  • The court invoked Article 48 of the Ivorian Nationality Code, stating Thiam lost his Ivorian citizenship upon acquiring French nationality in 1987.
  • Thiam renounced his French citizenship earlier this year to meet eligibility requirements, but the court deemed him ineligible based on his prior status.
  • The decision, which cannot be appealed, follows similar rulings barring other opposition figures, including Laurent Gbagbo, Charles Ble Goude, and Guillaume Soro.
  • Thiam denounced the ruling as 'democratic vandalism,' warning of voter disenfranchisement and calling for cross-party dialogue to ensure fair elections.