With just three months to go before the October 2025 presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire, the ruling party—the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), led by President Alassane Ouattara—has initiated dialogue with Cap-Côte d’Ivoire, an opposition coalition comprising several parties, including Simone Gbagbo’s MGC and Charles Blé Goudé’s COJEP.
A high-level RHDP delegation, led by Executive Secretary Cissé Ibrahima Bacongo, visited the MGC headquarters on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, for talks with members of Cap-Côte d’Ivoire. The unprecedented meeting lasted over an hour.
Following the meeting, both parties told the press they had discussed several current issues—including electoral system reform—and agreed to set up a technical committee to prepare for future discussions.
« This meeting is the first in a series. We were pleased to reconnect with our brothers and sisters from Cap-Côte d’Ivoire. We discussed issues that concern them, and also many Ivorian citizens, along with other important matters, » said Cissé Ibrahima Bacongo.
« We’ve decided to meet again and explore these topics in greater depth through a technical committee that will be set up. A meeting schedule will also be established, » he added.
Bacongo further noted that eight key concerns were raised during the discussions.
« From our side, we mainly focused on the rule of law and the importance of honoring the commitments we all make, » he stated, stressing that “we spoke frankly and openly.”
Speaking on behalf of Cap-Côte d’Ivoire, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, president of the MGC, confirmed that further meetings were planned to deepen the discussions.
« Today was the first contact. We wanted to present the issues we always bring up—particularly the reform of the electoral system—to the RHDP delegation. We touched on it, though we didn’t go into detail, » she said.
The RHDP delegation included key party figures such as Cissé Ibrahima Bacongo, Mamadou Touré, Amédé Kouakou Koffi, Anne Désirée Ouloto, Mariatou Koné, and Myss Belmonde Dogo.
On the Cap-Côte d’Ivoire side, prominent figures included Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, Charles Blé Goudé, Éric Kahé, and others.
This first-ever meeting between the RHDP and the Cap-Côte d’Ivoire coalition marks a significant step toward easing political tensions just months ahead of the country’s presidential election.
