Politics

Ivory Coast: President Ouattara appoints Central Bank Governor, Tiémoko Koné as new Vice president

Published

2 years ago

April 19, 2022

President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast has continued his announced shake-up in government as he has appointed the governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) Tiémoko Meyliet Koné as the new Vice president.

The appointment comes after the resignation of ex-Prime Minister Patrick Achi last week.

President Alassane Ouattara reiterated plans to slim down the size of the cabinet and promised to announce new appointments.

The new Vice President, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné has headed the BCEAO since 2011 and is also an economist and a well-known technocrat.

Mr. Kone has also served between 2007 and 2011, as Director of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, then as Minister of Construction, Urban Planning and Housing, and finally as Special Adviser to the President of the Republic, in charge of economic and monetary issues.

He also served between 2007 and 2011, as Director of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, then as Minister of Construction, Urban Planning and Housing, and finally as Special Adviser to the President of the Republic, in charge of economic and monetary issues.

While addressing parliament, President Ouattara stressed that Kone had been a dedicated leader of the West African regional central bank BCEAO, which issues and manages the CFA franc currency used by eight countries.

“He’s a brilliant economist, a hard-working and competent man, who was involved in the reform of the CFA franc, which was a delicate operation,” he said, noting that Kone had also held high-ranking government jobs in Ivory Coast in the past.

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Politics

Tunisian court mandates electoral commission to reinstate presidential contenders

Published

1 day ago

September 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The highest court in Tunisia has issued an order requiring the electoral commission to re-enter two candidates for an October presidential election, cautioning that not doing so might compromise the election’s credibility.

The Administrative Court’s decision was made in rising political unrest in the nation of North Africa, where opposition parties and civil society organisations are concerned that a rigged election could give President Kais Saied a second term.

In the largest demonstration against constraints on liberties and the undemocratic electoral environment in Tunisia in two years, thousands of Tunisians came to the streets on Friday. Among the shouts screamed by the demonstrators was “Out with dictator Saied.”

Tensions increased after the electoral commission, citing purported flaws in their candidacy forms, rejected the court’s decision earlier this month to restore the candidatures of Abdellaif Mekki, Mondher Znaidi, and Imed Daimi ahead of the contest on October 6.

The president himself appointed the committee’s members, and major parties and civil society organisations claimed that this meant the president was using the inquiry as a weapon against his opponents.

Regarding the charges, commission president Farouk Bouasker has stated that “the commission is the only constitutional body entrusted with the integrity of the election” and refuted them. However, the commission must carry out its mandate and, if needed, revise the election schedule, the court ruled on Saturday. It’s unclear if this entails delaying the election or prolonging the campaign.

“Otherwise it would lead to an illegal situation that conflicts with the electoral law and the transparency of the electoral process”, it said.

Following their filing of a new complaint against the commission’s ruling, the court requested that Znaidi and Mekki be allowed to participate in the race. Daimi, the third contender, hasn’t yet submitted a second appeal.

After winning a democratic election in 2019, Saied strengthened his hold on power and started governing by decree in 2021—a move that the opposition has called a coup.

Politics

Under their new coalition, Mali, Burkina, Niger to launch biometric passports

Published

1 day ago

September 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

As part of their departure from the West African bloc in favour of a new Sahel alliance, military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will implement new biometric passports, the countries’ leaders announced on Sunday.

Together, the three Sahelian neighbours run by juntas declared in January that they would be exiting the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), despite efforts by the organisation to convince them otherwise.

In July, the three West African nations signed a confederation treaty demonstrating their will to forge on together outside of the regional political and economic bloc that has been pressuring them to revert to democratic governance.

Earlier this month, Burkina Faso declared that it will no longer be issuing passports with the ECOWAS emblem.

“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world”, Malian junta leader Assimi Goita announced on Sunday evening.

On the eve of the decision to form their alliance, the foreign ministers of the three nations will meet on Monday. He made this statement beforehand.

In addition, Goita announced that they intended to open a common information channel “to foster a peaceful exchange of information among our three states.”

Meanwhile, ECOWAS had warned that the 400 million residents of the 49-year-old bloc would lose their freedom of movement and access to the common market if the three countries were to exit,

Their withdrawal coincides with their troops fighting militants associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda, whose insurgencies have caused instability in the area for the previous ten years and pose a threat to those bordering West Africa.