Al Jazeera Discovers 'Elections' in Nation with Banned Opposition
Al Jazeera reports on Ivory Coast's upcoming presidential election, focusing on President Alassane Ouattara's decision to seek a controversial fourth term and the 'banning' of opposition candidates. Tensions, they note, are 'mounting.' This framing conveniently bypasses the historical playbook of strongmen worldwide: first, amend the constitution (as Ouattara did in 2016, 2020) and then disqualify
any serious challengers. It's less an 'election' and more a staged coronation when the primary contenders are systematically removed from the ballot, effectively ensuring a singular candidate's victory. One might wonder if 'democracy' is the right word for an event where the primary drama is whether the incumbent who unilaterally changed election laws can legally run unchallenged. How many 'terms'
before a democracy becomes, shall we say, 'term-limited by circumstance' for everyone but the guy in charge? Al Jazeera asks what's 'at stake'—perhaps the very definition of a competitive election itself.