Ivory coast: Referendum on the Constitution campaign begins

The Ivorian president calls for a massive vote for the new constitutional referendum in October 30.

Alassane Ouattara on Saturday launched in Abidjan the campaign for ‘yes’, inviting supporters to make their voices heard, by voting not less than to 96%.

The president while speaking to his supporters said; “the Constitution is the guarantee, it’s a life insurance policy for peace, for decades and decades so I’m asking you to come out in large numbers on October 30 to vote massively because this is how we are going to secure peace”.

Alassane Ouattara promised a new Constitution during his re-election in 2015 for a second term running until 2020. According to him, the constitutional referendum will allow him to “turn the final page of the successive crises” that have shaken the country for a decade.

“Of course we don’t personally agree with what’s in the current constitution. But it was the compromise that was stopped by the political class and we do not want to give the impression that because we are in power we will simply ignore the point of view of others”, Alassane Ouattara further disclosed.

The text envisages for the creation of a post of Vice President and the Senate, the institutionalization of the House of the Kings and traditional chiefs and extends to the field of competence of the economic and social Council.

Meanwhile, the opposition called to boycott the poll.