Credit: Wikipedia /  Minister of Defense of Ivory Coast Hamed Bakayoko has been named prime minister after acting as interim PM since the sudden death of Amadou Gon Coulibaly

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The Minister of Defense of Ivory Coast, Hamed Bakayoko, was appointed Prime Minister on Thursday, replacing Amadou Gon Coulibaly who died unexpectedly on July 8.   Bakayoko, who  was acting as interim PM since Coulibaly’s death,  is long-time friend of President Alassane Ouattara having campaigned with him in his party since its founding in 1994. “The President of the Republic proceeded to the signing of a decree appointing Mr. Hamed Bakayoko as Prime Minister, ” according to a statement from the Ivorian government.

Communiqué de la Présidence de la République relatif à la nomination de M. Hamed BAKAYOKO en qualité de Premier Ministre, Chef du Gouvernement, Ministre de la Défense. pic.twitter.com/ot0m7ziOC8

— Presidenceci (@Presidenceci) July 30, 2020

Bakayoko, 55, was Minister of Defense since 2017,  and before was Minister of the Interior since 2011. He is also mayor of Abobo, a municipality in Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire since 2018.  Bakayoko was a founding member of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR) party in 1994. 

 Ivory Coast Ruling Party Nominates President Ouattara to Seek Another Term

Ivory Coast’s ruling RHDP party Wednesday nominated President  Ouattara to seek re-election. However, Ouattara indicated he is withholding a decision on seeking a third term. Opposition groups in Ivory Coast oppose Ouattara extending his 10-year reign, citing a third term in office would be unconstitutional.  Voters are expected to choose the country’s next president on October 31.

Présidentielles en Côte d’Ivoire : un 3e mandat de Ouattara « serait illégal », selon Henri Konan Bédié

Dans une interview exclusive accordée à France 24, l’ancien chef d’État trouve que le 3e mandat du Président Ouattara est anti-constitutionnel. “Ce serait illégal”, a clairement dit HKB.

Henri Konan Bédié