The death never falls at the right time, but can occur at a time which can be regarded as the worst. That of Amadou Gon Coulibaly, previously Prime minister of Côte d'ivoire and the candidate of the RHDP of president Ouattara, between in this category. The man was the central jurisdiction recognised by the trust that bound them to the head of State of which he was the closest coworker for thirty years, and also and especially by the fact that he was the one to which president Alassane Ouattara was going to spend the witness of the destiny of the country. It is, therefore, little to say that it is a sequence complicated by the fact that the Ivory Coast should manage since the announcement of the deaths Wednesday, starting with the obligation for the ruling party, the RHDP, to find a new champion for the October presidential.
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State of shock
"The Cote d'ivoire in a state of shock" (The Cross), "thunderclap" (Soir Info), "Blow" (Fraternité Matin), the titles of the press cited by the AFP, have reflected the surprise within the population to the announcement of the death of the Prime minister, even if we knew how to " AGC " sick in the heart for a long time. "It was income from his illness, I thought it went well ", said Johanne Ibo Kouakou, shopping, like most of the Ivorian saw the images back in great pomp to the country of AGC last week after spending two months in France for cardiac problems. "It's a surprise. Amadou, he was like a father, " said Mahamadi Sawadogo, a security guard in Abidjan. "It shocked us really [...], it is to him that we were waiting for the completion of the work of president Alassane Ouattara," said Ibrahim Dembele, a cabinet-maker.
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Korhogo, the major metropolitan area of the North of côte d'ivoire, the hometown and stronghold policy of AGC, was also distraught. In the family court of the "Gon Madou" (grand-father of the Prime minister), the delegations of the region followed one after another for the condolences in a heavy atmosphere, has found an AFP journalist. "This is a loss for Korhogo and its area, a great loss for the North," said a visitor, Simone Soro.
Praise for the local and international
After a wave of tributes from the majority and the opposition on Wednesday, the praise of politicians continued Thursday. "The Côte d'ivoire lost a worthy son, a great servant. Thou dwellest a role model for me, "wrote on Twitter the Defence minister, Hamed Bakayoko, said "Hambak," which was often contrasted to the Prime minister within the president's camp. "Hambak" had assured the interim of the Prime minister during his care in France and could be a candidate to his succession. The ex-rebellion leader and presidential candidate Guillaume Soro, scrambled with power and who has lived in exile in France to avoid criminal prosecution, has claimed to have "shared a long fellowship" with AGC, a native of the north of Côte d'ivoire as him, adding that the ties between their two families " have never been eroded in spite of the political atmosphere ambient ".
At the international level, the French president Emmanuel Macron has hailed " the memory and dedication of a great servant of the Ivory Coast, the architect of its economic recovery and faithful friend of France ", the former colonial power. The heads of State in West Africa have also expressed their condolences. The president of niger Mahamadou Issoufou, has expressed his " great emotion ", the president of burkina faso, Roch Kaboré of his " sadness ", and their counterpart of senegal Macky Sall for his " punishment ".
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The embarrassment mingled with the sadness of the RHDP decrypted
On the political front, president Ouattara and his party, the Rassemblement des houphouëtistes for democracy and peace (RHDP) are in trouble, while Mr Gon Coulibaly had been appointed in march candidate for the October presidential. "AGC was more than important in the scheme : it was THE device," says political scientist Jean Alabro, which recalls the links of the Prime minister with many leaders in the North. "At this time, all the choices are bad," he says, listing the other applications are possible, " Ouattara [a third term], Hamed Bakayoko or a third that it is necessary to make emerge ".
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" Ouattara [which was announced in march, you do not want to do] can be represented. But there are a lot of disadvantages ", including accusations of democracy altered, according to him. Mr Ouattara and his supporters believe that the change of Constitution in 2016 gives him the legal right to present themselves, but the opposition argues that the spirit of the Constitution, it is prohibited. "As to Hambak, it is not well received by part of the population for his role in the rebellion [of the 2000s], some see it as an assassin. And in his own camp, the pro-Gon would not see a good eye, "that his death benefits to" the enemy ", said Mr Alabro.
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"Postpone the presidential election for reasons of pandemic-associated coronavirus or of the problems of electoral enrolment could be a good option" for the ruling party, according to him. For Modest Goran, professor of the university Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, " a party like the RDHP thinking of all the contingencies. In the project, there was without doubt a substitute to Gon, even if it is not known today ". And the university note the importance of the electoral machine of the RHDP, which nets all the territory of côte d'ivoire : "It has a weight, a reputation and an activity that can allow a new leader to take it. "
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