BY WILLIAM J. FIGHTER

The suspense—if there truly was one—only lasted a week from the time the outgoing Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara, acknowledged the nomination of his party, the Rally of the Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), for the upcoming 31 October presidential election and promised to “reply shortly.” In his acceptance statement yesterday, Thursday, the president said: “I am a candidate for the presidential election of October 2020.” He added that his candidacy is driven by his “concern to preserve peace and national cohesiveness.”

Gouza Nahounou, an Ivorian activist and political analyst who resides in France, and who hosts a regularly-scheduled show on Facebook that is watched and liked by thousands of viewers, is a regular commentator on political developments in Côte d’Ivoire for “The African.” Nahounou, who always calls it what it is—without mincing her words—weighed in on the upcoming presidential election in her home country, only a few days before the president accepted his party’s nomination.

On the outset, Nahounou reminds us—and the reader—of her presumed neutrality.

“As a careful observer of the African political theater in general, and that of my country, Côte d’Ivoire, in particular, I belong to no political cell, which enables me to have total freedom of speech.”

She then goes on to say that Côte d’Ivoire is at a critical junction of its evolution as an independent republic, adding that the upcoming presidential election of October “rings a bell of warning.” She warns “It is a time to show political maturity, or throw Côte d’Ivoire in a civil war.”

In a repeat of her earlier statements, she commends President Ouattara for “doing a good job:”

“One needs not look further than our country’s infrastructure and the trust regained from investors to be convinced of that, unless one wants to show bad faith.”

Then, she deplores, the sudden death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly changes everything at a time, our analyst says, “the country was making big strides toward a true democratic transition, and Côte d’Ivoire once again faces its old demons.”

Gouza Nahounou is the founder of a network she has titled Idées de Paix (Ideas for Peace), (the philosophy that carries her show on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). She is also the founding president of ID2P, Initiatives for Dialogue Between the People and Peace, an association recognized by the French authorities. Calling herself a “die-hard republican fully committed to the values of peace and democracy,” she states her staunch opposition to “sectarian practices in politics, which is often the case in Africa, especially in Côte d’Ivoire.”

The political analyst says President Ouattara has shown great respect for democracy in his country by initially deciding not to stand for re-election.

“By encouraging the candidacy of his prime minister whose competence was undeniable, he gave the country the best possible chance for political succession. The other candidates—real or potential—having shown in the past their inability to bring peace and development to the majority of their fellow-citizens.”

Under former President Henri Konan Bédié, Nahounou says, the investors ran away. As for former President Laurent Gbagbo, he isolated Côte d’Ivoire from the international scene. Nahounou is adamant: both former presidents “have depleted the country, brought along pillage and rebellions along ethnic lines.”

In light of the above, concludes Nahounou, “Today, to succeed the candidate Amadou Gon Coulibaly, with one’s eyes closed one chooses Alassane Ouattara.”

The political and social activist does not claim, however, that President Ouattara’s record in office is perfect. “National reconciliation is still pretty much elusive,” she says, advocating for bold initiatives toward “social cohesiveness.” “Politics is still the best means to get rich,” Nahounou also says, calling for in-depth reform of the public service.

Nahounou commends President Ouattara for promoting Ivorian women, but feels much more needs to be done. Pointing out that “women are the living essence of the nation,” she says:

“Women are still struggling to be recognized in Côte d’Ivoire. They are often treated like accessories, or even as the lower gender, when it comes to politics or the civil society. Parity in national, regional and municipal representations could be the mark and an objective of the next mandate of the President of the Republic.”