A Few Days Before the RHDP Congress on June 20-21, Voices Question the Relevance of President Alassane Ouattara’s New Candidacy

Some voices are raising questions about the relevance of a new candidacy by President Alassane Ouattara ahead of the RHDP congress scheduled for June 20 and 21. Others, often driven by political ulterior motives, talk about a “fourth term.” This debate deserves to be clarified—legally, politically, and morally.

1. A Solid Legal Foundation: The Second Term of the Third Republic

The 2016 Constitution, which established the Third Republic, explicitly states in Article 183 that previous terms are not counted within the new institutional cycle.
This position was also unequivocally validated by the Constitutional Council in 2020. Therefore, President Ouattara’s candidacy in 2025 cannot legally be described as a “fourth term,” but rather as a second term within the current legal and institutional framework.

2. A Political Necessity in an Uncertain Sub-Regional Context

At a time when West Africa is marked by coups d’état, social tensions, authoritarian tendencies, and identity retrenchments, Côte d’Ivoire stands out as a pillar of stability.
This stability largely rests on governance that has successfully combined:

• budgetary control,

• balanced diplomacy,

• structural investments,

• and crisis anticipation capacity.
  President Ouattara is currently the only Ivorian leader with the credibility and experience to guarantee this continuity.

3. A Moral Legitimacy Based on an Unfinished Project

President Ouattara’s approach is not driven by personal ambition. It is based on a republican will for consolidation. Three major projects need to be completed:

• a profound and credible reform of our justice system,

• a better distribution of the fruits of growth among regions and social classes,

• and the sustainable professionalization of our public administration.
  These objectives are not political whims but republican promises that the President embodies with consistency and rigor.

4. The RHDP Must Renew Itself Around Merit and Enlightened Leadership

This new term should also be an opportunity for internal renewal of the RHDP, based on three pillars:

• meritocracy: to restore the credibility of our political personnel,

• competence and integrity: to govern better in service of Ivorians,

• republican leadership: to train a political generation capable of ensuring future succession.

5. This Is Not a Fourth Term. It Is the Second Wind of the Third Republic.

Instead of biased debates, let us face this reality with lucidity and pride. President Ouattara is not “clinging to power.” He is once again choosing to answer the call of the Nation.
History will judge not the length but the depth of his work.

Roger Adom

Former Minister