Contenders line up for Côte d’Ivoire presidential election

Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RHDP) candidate Amadou Gon Coulibaly’s death on 8 July leaves President Alassane Dramane Ouattara (ADO) searching for an alternative, either to replace himself as head of state or as a potentially very powerful vice-president if he stands.Ouattara’s leading opponent, Henri Konan Bédié, also has a big call to make in naming his Parti Démocratique de la Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) running mate.