Cote d’Ivoire’s “Iron Lady” Returns to Power

By Madelyn Williams 

There is a surprise candidate on Cote d’Ivoire’s ballot next month, Former First Lady Simone Gbagbo has announced that she will run for president in the upcoming elections. Simone has been dubbed the “Iron Lady” due to her fearsome reputation during her now ex-husbands presidency. Laurent and Simone Gbagbo were activists for a multi-party democracy during the Houphouet-Boigny autocracy. They were harassed, assaulted, and imprisoned for their actions. After their release they ran for office, and both became members of the National Assembly. In 2000, the Houphouet-Boigny government finally held elections. The Gbagbo’s who held sway over the military leaders, excluded the opposition and won the presidency. Laurent was president until 2011, and it is said the Simone was the true power behind the throne. They refused to give up office upon being voted out, causing a five-month civil war that killed 3,000. The newly elected president Ouattara, along with French troops, squashed the revolt and the Gbagbo’s were imprisoned again. Since then, Simone’s charges have been dropped, allowing her to run for president. 

It is said that in the last few months Simone Gbagbo has quietly been gaining support, even with her ex-husband Laurents supporters. The support has made her one of the favorites against President Ouattara. Simone has founded a new leftist party the Movement of Capable Generations (MCG). Her campaign is based on the hopes to modernize Cote d’Ivoire and “build a new nation” within “a sovereign, dignified, and prosperous Africa”. If she wins it would be a monumental step for women in the country, as they have been traditionally ill represented in the government. There is still caution around the elections as many fear that the opposition will once again be excluded, and the results will cause civil unrest.