The ex -lady of Cott d’Ivoire of Cott d’I

The former first lady of Ivory Coast Simone Gbagbo, 76 -year -old, is the surprising inclusion in a list of five candidates who were officially released to compete for the presidential election next month.

She will run against President Alasan Outara, an 83 -year -old, who took power after she and her ex -husband Laurent Gbagbo were captured in a presidential bunker during the conflict that hit the country after the 2010 election.

But the former president was banned from challenging the poll, along with former minister of first -class minister Pascal N’Guessan and former Suisse Bank Tidjane Thiam CEO.

Their disqualification caused fears about the legitimacy of the vote on October 25 and caused fears of instability.

Tiam, who was disqualified by the Constitutional Council because of her previous French citizenship, called the decision “Act of Democratic Vandalism” and accused the Ouattara administration of organizing “shameful elections” to cling to power.

Ouattara took over the presidency in 2011, after Laurent Gbagbo’s arrest after his refusal to accept the election defeat in 2010.

Ouattara was initially limited to two terms, but the constitutional repairs in 2016 allowed him to seek re -election in 2020, with a vote that was boycotted by the opposition.

He won these elections in landslide, with at least 85 people killed in subsequent unrest. Later, he said he would run for a fourth term.

Laurent Gbagbo was banned by the Constitutional Council from running for president for a criminal sentence in 2018.

He was convicted in absentia for looting the Central Bank during the political crisis, which struck an anchor after the 2010 election.

Although he received a presidential pardon in 2020, it did not restore his right to vote or run for position.

He also encountered some charges of crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court (ICC), but he was acquitted.

For Simone Gbagbo, her candidacy is not only politically significant, but symbolically powerful in a country where women remain largely insufficiently represented in the national leadership.

Only 30% of Ivoria’s parliamentarians are women, and few have played higher roles in the government.

Once called “The Iron Lady”, Simone Gbagbo is now ready to become the strongest female contender for the presidency in the history of Kot D’IVire.

She and former Minister Anterit Lagu Adua, representing the political partners for the peace coalition, are the two women whose candidacy has been approved by the Constitutional Council.

Simone Gbagbo has a long and active career in Ivorian politics, including as a MP – who was later overshadowed by her role in violence, followed by the 2010 election in which more than 3,000 people were killed.

This led to her sentence to 20 years in prison in 2015 by a court of Cotta D’Ivory.

However, it was provided Amnesty three years later than President Owatara to promote reconciliation. Unlike her ex -husband, the sentence did not lead to her removal from the voter register.

ICC also charged her in 2012, but they had dropped about nine years later.

Since then, she quietly and methodically restores her political base, after a breakthrough from the popular Front (FPI), the party, who co-founded her ex-husband, former President Gbagbo.

Her campaign slogan is a call to “build a new nation” within the framework of “sovereign, decent and prosperous Africa.”

“Her approval legitimizes the idea that Ivorian women can strive for the highest position, regardless of their past, age or gender. She is not just a candidate – she is a symbol,” said local political analyst Severin Yao Quames.

It is unclear if Laurent Gbagbo, now disqualified by the election, will support his ex -wife.

The two have been married for over 30 years, sharing a life of political militancy, imprisonment and governance. They divorced in 2023

The official election campaign begins on October 10.

The country has 8.7 million registered voters and there are fears that the exclusion of some of the other candidates can erode public confidence and cause renewed excitement.

However, all the eyes will be about whether Simone Gbagbo can redeem tell about leadership and become president.