The eagerly anticipated congress of the PDCI, scheduled for Saturday, December 16, has been suspended at the eleventh hour by an interim court order from the High Court of Abidjan. The opposition party aimed to designate a successor to the late president, Henri Konan Bédié, who passed away on August 1 after leading the party for nearly 30 years.
According to the court order, which RFI had the opportunity to review, two PDCI members filed a legal challenge against the holding of this extraordinary congress. These members raised several complaints about the organization of the congress, intended to select a new president for the party in succession to Henri Konan Bédié.
Following negotiations, the congress was expected to reach a consensus between the two main leadership choices: financier Tidjiane Thiam and the mayor of Cocody, Jean-Marc Yacé.
The members who initiated the legal action deem its organization opaque, particularly asserting that the party’s secretary-general and deputy Maurice Kakou Guikahué was unjustly excluded from the presidential race despite meeting the candidacy criteria.
The High Court of Abidjan deemed the legal challenge admissible, stating that the “denounced irregularities” could “compromise the election of the new PDCI president” and even “cause disturbances to public order.” Consequently, the court ordered the suspension of the congress and its postponement.
As dawn broke on Saturday, confusion prevailed among PDCI officials, with many unaware of the interim court order issued by the High Court of Abidjan on Friday evening.