Ivory Coast: Gbagbo's electoral roll appeal rejected

Former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo has had his appeal to be included on the electoral role in the Ivory Coast rejected by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), his party announced in a statement on Friday.

Gbagbo lodged an appeal with the CEI on June 8.

"The claim by His Excellency Laurent Gbagbo, president of the African Peoples' Party - Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI), has been rejected," the statement said. Having been struck off the electoral roll, Mr. Gbagbo had lodged an appeal with the IEC on June 8.

The former president was acquitted by international justice of crimes against humanity committed during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, but is still facing a 20-year prison sentence for the robbery of funds from Abidjan's central bank in 2011.

Gbagbo was convicted in 2018 leading to the loss of civic and political rights and his removal from the electoral roll.

According to the press release, the former president "considers this non-registration [on the electoral roll] as a political manoeuvre aimed at removing him from political life" and "diminishing the ardor and mobilization of PPA-CI militants and supporters for the upcoming local elections" on September 2. His party considers "that the CEI is under the control of the Head of State", Alassane Ouattara, "and his regime".

However, the document adds that Laurent Gbagbo "is not affected by this situation" and "intends to fight".

In September, eight million voters are due to go to the polls in the country to re-elect municipal and regional councils, while a presidential election is scheduled for 2025.