“I was born in Ivorian” – Bank boss banned from running for president tells BBC

Tidjane Thiam, a former international banker and leader of the main opposition party in the Ivory Coast, told the BBC that he would not give up his position in the presidential vote without fighting.

Last month, the Cotlia court ruled that the former Credit Suisse boss was not eligible for polls or even voted because he was confiscated of his Ivoria nationality when he obtained French citizenship in 1987.

But this was strongly rejected by Thiam. “The most important thing is that I was born in Averian,” he told the BBC.

The government said he was not a citizen of the Goose Coast when he was registered on the election list.

In an interview with the BBC, Thiam suggested that the ruling was politically motivated.

“Please choose who to join the opposition is not to get the regime to eliminate opposition leaders,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone like Goose Coast thinks this is not the government’s weaponization of the legal system.”

Ivory Coast’s information minister, Amadou Coulibaly, rejected this.

“The court stipulated that he was registered at that time [electoral] List, he is not Ivorian.

He added: “It clearly proves that the gentleman did not know the Ivory Coast…we had moral problems with Mr. Thiam – he knew he was wrong.”

“What happened is that they dug up laws that were never applied to anyone in 1961. But, theoretically, it says if you take another nationality, you will lose your Ivorian citizenship.”

“In the same situation, most Cotlia football teams are,” he said.

Although Thiam gave up his French nationality in the general election in March, the court found his candidacy invalid because he was not Ivorian when he first registered on the election list.

The Nationality Act of 1961 states: “A year-round Ivoria national who voluntarily acquires or points out that he has a foreign nationality will lose Ivoria nationality.”

Thiam is now facing legal challenges.

His disqualification comes a week after the Ivory Coast Democratic Party (PDCI) confirmed him as presidential candidate.

Angry members of the party said they are suspending all parliamentary activities in protest of his disqualification.

His supporters still hope he will be awarded the candidate.

The final election list for the October general election will be released on June 20.

Thiam is expected to challenge the ruling RHDP party led by Alassane Ouattara, who has been in power for 15 years.

Ouattara was previously banned from running for president due to nationality in the early 2000s because his parents were from Burkina Faso.

Information Minister Coulibaly told the BBC that the Nationality Act previously excluded candidates with French nationality in 2011.

“[Thiam] Blaming the government on the decision made by the court. ” he added.

“Some people think that when you’re in the West, you can follow the rules, the laws of these countries, and then you get to your own country because you think you have the power and connections that can trample all texts and violate all laws,” Kuribali said.

But Thiam said his candidacy shocked the government.

“This government has been in power for 15 years. Should they have another five? For me, that should be the focus of the presidential campaign, not my passport.”

He also told the BBC that such “political events” could reduce investors’ confidence in the country.

He said a business partner once told him: “I only invest in countries where I can sue the president’s son and win.” Thiam told the BBC that it was with him.

Who is Tidjane Thiam?

Thiam comes from a long list of politicians.

His great New York-Félix Houphouët-Boigny is the founding president of the Coast like Goose.

Four of his five brothers, including Thiam himself, served as ministers of five different presidents.

After becoming the first ivory to pass the prestigious Polytechnic School of France, he returned to the Ivory Coast and accepted politics.

In 1998, at the age of 36, he became the Minister of Planning before the PDCI was removed from the coup the following year.

He then moved abroad to pursue a successful business career.

Thiam has held senior positions in leading international businesses such as Aviva, Prudential and Credit Suisse. He quit the latter in 2020 after the spy scandal, although he has been cleared of any involvement.

In 2020, he was appointed as a special envoy for Covid-19 by the African Union.

But Thiam faces criticism from political opponents for his 20-year absence from the Ivory Coast, who say he has a high recognition among the Averians.

However, he believes that in fact, his years abroad helped to build his image at home.

“Many Averians look at my international career. Just like looking at famous football players, they look at me, they know me,” he said.

Thiam describes himself as the BBC being the “digital guy”.

“The Ivory Coast in 1999 ranked 125th in the world [In the UNDP Human Development Index]. We are now 166, so we are down 41. We are part of 30 countries in the world. ” Thiam said.

He believes that this is a direct result of years of political violence.

“The first sentence of my platform is like the border peace of the Goose Coast and the peace of neighbors,” Thiam explained.

“The Ivory Coast is a mosaic.

The Ivory Coast faces an increasing security threat from Islamic insurgents bordering Mali and Burkina Faso.

In February, France returned its last remaining military base to the Ivoria authorities, in part to respond to the anger of the Ivory Coast, and the weaknesses of the French army in dealing with these groups.

But Thiam denied any “anti-French sentiment” on the Coast like Goose.

“I think the disgust that Africans are subject to is corrupt and incompetent government. When France is aligned with corruption and incompetence, people will be anti-French and that’s absolutely right.”

“It’s mainly a problem for Africans. It’s a problem we need to solve and then the rest of the world will be able to help us solve it. But it has to start with us,” Thiam added.

Other reports by Nicolas Négoce, Thomas Mackintosh and Natasha Booty

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