Following the passing of former Ivorian President Henri Konan Bédié, the current President of the Republic has declared ten days of national mourning. Meanwhile, the PDCI has convened its executives to discuss the future of the party and the arrangements for the funeral of its former leader.
Yesterday, the executives of PDCI along with their vice presidents and executive secretaries, held another meeting in Abidjan. This meeting was organized following the one that took place on Tuesday night to Wednesday.
According to a Democratic Party executive, “It was important to quickly confirm the appointment of the oldest vice president as the new acting president of the party”.
Philippe Cowbly-Boni, a 91-year-old medical associate and gynecology specialist, has been given the responsibility of overseeing the upcoming party congress. The main objective of the congress is to elect a new president. The late Henri Konan Bédié had previously scheduled the congress on October 19th.
“All options are on the table,” says another source to the PDCI. Some observers speak of a risk of the party breaking up, as the stakes of this congress are high. The statutes of the party indicate that the interim president can remain at the head for a maximum of six months. “What matters now is the establishment of a new president and a new executive secretary,” said a party pundit.