ABIDJAN — According to the presidency on Monday, Ivory Coast Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan has resigned. This further disrupts the diplomatic situation following the abrupt death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, President Alassane Ouattara’s chosen successor. Gon Coulibaly’s death last week, who was hand-picked by Ouattara to compete in October’s presidential elections, left the governing party struggling to select a substitute nominee, a move expected to expose internal tensions, which analysts claim.
“The president of the republic would like to pay tribute to a great servant of the state, a man of duty and commitment,” Achi said.
Duncan is quitting for “personal convenience,” Patrick Achi, the chief advisor to Ouattara, told the media, emphasizing that Duncan had first submitted his resignation in February.
The Resignation of the Ivory Coast Vice President Causes Tensions
President Ouattara had fully approved Duncan’s resignation last Wednesday, the same day that Gon Coulibaly, who had chronic heart issues, died following a parliamentary session. In March, Ouattara elected Gon Coulibaly to lead the RHDP party in the October 31 election after declaring that he will not campaign for a third term. Ouattara assumed power in 2011 after the election the preceding year, which triggered a short civil war as the ousted President, Laurent Gbagbo, failed to give up.
Given many years of relative stability, ethnic and tribal feuds are continuing. Even so, the citizens of the Ivory Coast see this year’s poll as a measure of unity. Ivory Coast is the world’s leading supplier of cocoa, and one of West Africa’s leading economies. After Gon Coulibaly’s death last week, Ouattara’s RHDP group planned to urge the President to reconsider his choice not to try a third tenure. This might help unify the party, which will also attract intense backlash from Ouattara’s rivals, who argue that the law does not permit him to campaign anew.
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