Roundup: Cote d'Ivoire's new constitution re-writing generates concerns

The process of writing Cote d'Ivoire's new Constitution has generated great concerns in Cote d'Ivoire where talks are still ongoing between President Alassane Ouattara and various stakeholders.

On several occasions, Ouattara has reiterated that various socio-political actors have an important contribution to make to the process of re-writing the new Constitution.

OPPOSITION CALLS FOR RECONSIDERATION

After the meeting with opposition political parties on June 7 which marked the first phase of consultations, some leaders of political parties urged the government to "reconsider" the proposed procedure before conducting the constitutional referendum.

"Some speakers insisted on the need to reconsider the process and ensure it is democratic," the president of Cote D'Ivoire Popular Front (FPI, opposition) Pascal Nguessan Affi said.

"We have all insisted on the need to adopt a consensual approach, because a new constitution is a social contract with the Cote d'Ivoire people and we should give everyone an opportunity to express themselves," head of another opposition party, Republican Union for Democracy (URD), Danielle Boni Claverie, said.

Claverie proposed the need to set up a "consultative commission" bringing together all stakeholders in the country.

TRADITIONAL CHIEFS CALL FOR THIRD PRESIDENTIAL TERM

After the opposition political leaders, it was the turn of traditional leaders to meet with the president on June 8.

"Regarding the conditions for eligibility, we believe it is important to simplify it in the interest of peace. We therefore propose that any citizen born in Cote d'Ivoire should be allowed to contest for the presidency," the traditional leaders' spokesman Nanan Desire Amon Tano said.

The traditional chiefs also called for the reduction of minimum age for those wishing to run for the presidency from 40 years to 35 years.

"In addition to reducing the minimum age, we should also provide the possibility for a president to contest for a third term," the spokesman said.

CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS FOR "TRUE" SOCIAL CONTRACT

Generally, the civil society which also took part in the talks, did not support the idea of a third presidential term as proposed by traditional chiefs.

They instead opted for two five-year terms.

As for eligibility, especially concerning provisions of the current Constitution that demands for a presidential candidate to have both parents of Cote d'Ivoire origin, they proposed that a candidate should have at least one parent of Cote d'Ivoire origin.

"We do not want a controversial article in our Constitution. We need a true social contract, we want to live together," the president of the Civil Society Platform for Election Monitoring Marie Paul Kodjo said.

According to most observers, the Constitution's aspects related to eligibility conditions will be very crucial for the next presidential elections.

"This touches on issues of nationality, parentage and term limits. There are many examples in Africa where crises have broken out over a possible third term,"said Michel Konan, a university lecturer in Abidjan.

The process of re-writing Cote d'Ivoire's Constitution began in early June with the setting up of a committee of experts by Ouattara. The experts are expected to make proposals that will form part of the new Constitution.

The writing of a new Constitution was a promise made by Ouattara during electoral campaigns before he was re-elected in October last year for his second term.

A referendum will be organized between the month of September and October to allow Cote d'Ivoire citizens choose whether to adopt or reject the new constitutional document. Enditem