President Alassane Ouattara during a meeting with Henri Konan Bédié to initiate a post-election dialogue in Abidjan, Ivory Coast November 11, 2020 (twitter.com/AOuattara)

By Sara Abraham and  Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC TIMES

ABIDJAN  –  Côte d’Ivoire –   Ivory Coast  President Alassane Ouattara and rival Henri Konan Bédié met with one another for the first time in over two years on Wednesday in Abidjan.  It was an attempt at dialogue after last month’s controversial presidential election.  Ouattara  won a third term in power as President of  the West African nation in a vote that was boycotted by the opposition.   On Monday November 9, the Constitutional Council of Côte d’Ivoire confirmed the first-round re-election of President Ouattara for a third term.  Ouattara won 94.27% of the vote in the 31 October polls, according to the Constitutional Council.  According to Mamadou Kone, no complaint from a presidential candidate has been registered by his institution and no irregularity likely to compromise the validity of the ballot has been noted by the CEI.  The former prime minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, a leading opponent of Ouattara,  and Bédié, refused to recognize Ouattara’s electoral victory labeling  it a “sham” and vowed to form an alternative “transitional government”.  The Ivorian Constitution limits a president’s time in office to two terms. 

“Ce mercredi, j’ai eu un entretien fraternel avec le Président Henri Konan Bédié pour rétablir la confiance et œuvrer à la préservation de la paix dans notre pays. Nous sommes convenus de nous revoir très prochainement pour continuer le dialogue”.

-President Alassane Ouattara

Déclaration à l’issue de ma rencontre avec le Président du PDCI-RDA, @HKBofficiel, ce mercredi 11 novembre 2020 au Golf Hotel Abidjan. pic.twitter.com/Sx1Iz0SAbp

— Alassane Ouattara (@AOuattara_PRCI) November 11, 2020

Ivorians Wait And Hope for Peace and Reconciliation After Election 

The main opposition candidates boycotted the election and called on supporters to stay at home as an act of civil disobedience.

Credit:  Sara Abraham  /  ©Diplomatic Times /  Yopougon sectioni of Abidjan  Nov. 3, 2020 after Alassane Ouattara  won a third term in power

The mood among Ivorians is one of fatigue and a desire for peace and reconciliation now. Many think it is a good gesture by President Ouattara to initiate post-election dialogue with Bédié but remain skeptical and are waiting to see what unfolds.

“Everything for peace is good.  If you want peace you  have to meet with everyone. We just pray for peace.  Although things are calm now with the people, many don’t accept the election of Ouattara for a third term. They are waiting to see if the president is sincere about including the opposition in sharing power.”

-Fatou Konan,  resident of Marcory,  Abidjan

Laurent Gbagbo Must Be Allowed To Return To Ivory Coast

Credit: ©ICC/CPI /   L’ancien président ivoirien Laurent Gbagbo à la Cour pénale internationale de La Haye, Pays-Bas. Gbabgo acquittement le 15 janvier 2019 par la CPI.

Ivory Coast’s former president Laurent Gbagbo, who  is currently freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court (ICC),  applied for a passport in July so that he can return home. Still Gbagbo remains in Europe waiting to return to Ivory Coast.

“You have to let Gbagbo come back home. This is his home.”

-Fatou Konan,  resident of Marcory,  Abidjan