Ivory Coast constitutional referendum to be held in October

<p>Ivorian president on Saturday announced the creation of the post of a vice- president and a senate outlined in the framework of a new constitution. This comes at the back of the parliament voting en masse in July, in favour of a referendum the new constitution.</p> <p>During a state of the nation address on the eve of the country’s 56 independence anniversary, President Alassane Ouattara said the creation of the post of a vice- president will ensure peace and stability in case there is a power vacuum in the west African nation.</p> <p>With regards to the senate, the president said that it will be composed of former state workers of exemplary qualities.</p> “We must re-write our history,” he stressed. <p>The drafting of the new constitution was one of the campaign promises of Ouattara who was re-elected for a second and last term of 5 years in October last year.</p> <p>However, an opposition coalition comprising 23 political parties is against the move, saying the creation of the post of a vice- president is a ploy by president Ouattara to choose his preferred successor.</p> <p>Ivorians will head for referendum on the new constitution in end October, ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.</p> <p><strong><em><span class="caps">AFP</span></em></strong></p>

We must re-write our history