Catholic Bishops in Ivory Coast Call for a Return to Democratic Culture ahead of October Presidential Election

Ivory Coast is set to hold its presidential election on October 25. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, a runoff election will be held between the two leading candidates.

The election comes five years after the controversial 2020 vote, and is widely seen as a test of the country's democratic maturity and institutional resilience.

In their July 29 statement, the Catholic Bishops say that the only way to prove that Ivory Coast is a governable country, is through a reality manifested in a fair election, which they say remains a factor of socio-political regulation and peace in modern democracies.

In this regard, CECCI members emphasize that elections are an essential pillar of democracy which, in turn, must strengthen it. They say, “When we talk about elections, we are talking about freedom, and there can be no freedom without truth.”

With the resources at its disposal, the Catholic Bishops say that Côte d'Ivoire can reasonably and practically overcome the many problems that have a negative impact on life and affect the rule of law, freedom, equality, justice and peace.

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“This country has the legal, traditional, ethical and spiritual levers to experience a presidential election that is peaceful and successful from start to finish,” they say in their 48-page statement.

The Catholic Bishops explain that to achieve the process of overcoming the challenges, all that is required is the will to do so, and the willingness to “shed light on misunderstandings, burdens and all the grey areas, through a dialogue of truth, leading to consensual solutions.”

“The preservation of the social fabric and of peace requires and favors this approach, which we, the Catholic Archbishops and Bishops of Côte d'Ivoire, advise and encourage; for only the truth will make the sons and daughters of this country free men and women,” they say

In the statement, CECCI members say that it is high time for the political leaders who aspire to lead the West African nation to start prioritizing peace, saying, “the challenge for any human community that desires peace is to create the optimum conditions for peace.”

“The time has come for our political leaders who love Côte d'Ivoire so much to take, with faith and commitment, courageous steps and measures, in the name of God, in the name of Côte d'Ivoire, to ensure that peace reigns in daily life, in public and private words and deeds,” they say.

With all the democratic setbacks in the country’s previous elections, the Bishops pose, “Should we despair of the democratic elections that democratic Côte d'Ivoire cannot do without? Or should we simply doubt the quality of the political players who, whether consciously or not, are seeking to alter the meaning and practice of democracy, which they know to be based on legal standards and philosophical, moral and ethical values?”

CECCI members, however, affirm their love for the people of God in the country, which they say is the motivation behind their continued attentiveness to “the pulse of society, and to the climate of tension.”

Their love for the people of God, they further say is the reason behind their attention to “the noxious atmosphere that is emerging in the political arena, as a result of the absence of dialogue leading to a healthy consensus.”

Referring to the October-November polls, the Catholic Bishops say, “Ivorians are waiting for a quality election organized by quality institutions and men.”

The quality of elections, they explain, “means that they must be peaceful, i.e., above all free of violence and in compliance with the law and ethical standards; secondly, that they must scrupulously respect the universal principles of freedom, equality, fairness, transparency, inclusiveness, sincerity and regularity.”

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They further say that the principles as stated must be recognized as stipulated in the Social Teaching of the Church as essential foundations of authentic democratic life.

“This type of election is feasible in Côte d'Ivoire. It is time to resolutely embark on the quest for a quality presidential election. One that is peaceful and successful from start to finish,” they emphasize.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.