According to Jean-Louis Billon, a former commerce minister of the Ivory Coast, two of the three “elephants” in Ivorian politics are in their 80s and the third is in his 70s.
Billion appeared on a radio programme on Saturday and demanded that the 75-year-old age restriction for presidential candidates be reinstated. He is going after Alassane Ouattara, Laurent Gbagbo, and Henri Konan Bédié, the leader of his own party, despite the fact that none of the three men have yet submitted an official application for the race.
The former trade minister’s views coincide with the recent choice of Bédié, the 88-year-old former president, as the only candidate to lead the party, made by the PDCI political bureau.
This choice caused a commotion internally since some people perceived it as Henri Konan Bédié’s prospective nomination as a presidential contender.
Billion also said on Saturday that he would run for president of the Ivory Coast in 2025. Alassane Ouatarra’s successor has already been determined, despite the election being two years away.
