Police disperse Ivorian opposition demonstration, leaders arrested

An Ivorian opposition demonstration against the new government-proposed constitution on Thursday has been dispersed and several opposition leaders arrested by the police.

The opposition was cautioned by the police that the planned demonstration announced on Tuesday has not been authorized and it’s illegal.

They however defied the order and assembled in the Plateau district of the capital Abidjan to demand a full withdrawal of the new draft constitution which will be voted for in a referendum on October 30.

“The police in their riot gear fired tear gas to disperse the protesters and afterwards arrested a number of the leaders including Aboudramane Sangaré of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI),” Africanews correspondent in Abidjan, Tonde Kassoum, reported.

Also, Mamadou Koulibaly, a former president of the National Assembly, Danielle Boni Claverie, a former Minister, Konan Kouadio Simeon, a former presidential candidate and Gnamgbo Kacou, an independent MP were also arrested.

The main Ivorian opposition party, Alliance of Democratic Forces Ivory Coast (AFD-CI), and its allies last week called for a boycott of the referendum vote on October 30.

President Ouattara has said that the new constitution will turn the page of the country by ending the crisis that have shaken the country.

The new constitution creates the position of vice president who will be elected at the same time as the president and the senate which one third of members will be appointed by the president.

It also a new term for the president which will be five years and renewable once. It also removes the maximum age limit of 75 years to be a candidate and provides that the president is re-elected only once.