Overview
- President Ouattara has officially launched his fourth-term campaign for the October 25 vote after being designated by his RHDP party.
- At 83, he insists the 2016 constitutional revision resets his term count and his health allows him to serve again.
- Judicial decisions have barred four major challengers including ex-president Laurent Gbagbo and former premier Tidjane Thiam.
- Opposition groups accuse the government of politicizing the courts to eliminate competitors, a claim denied by authorities.
- He remains the clear favorite in a nation praised for post-crisis economic gains but still marked by inequality and past electoral violence.