Tidjane Thiam, Ivory Coast opposition leader - can he run for president?

Catherine Byaruhanga, presenter and correspondent for the BBC
News Channel, speaks to Tidjane Thiam, the main opposition leader
in the Ivory Coast.


Mr Thiam is a former CEO of Credit Suisse, with a lengthy and
successful career in the financial sector abroad. Now, he wishes
to stand for the Ivory Coast presidency - but his candidacy has
been blocked by an Ivorian court. It has ruled he cannot run as
he was not an Ivorian citizen when he registered on the electoral
roll. Tidjane Thiam says the decision is politically motivated, a
claim firmly rejected by the government of the Ivory Coast. But
he is defending his right to run.


Despite years of civil war since the turn of the century, Ivory
Coast has a high level of income compared to its neighbours. But
Mr Thiam believes more can be done to attract investment and to
boost business - and that he has the financial expertise and
contacts to make it happen.


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Presenter: Catherine Byaruhanga Producers: Lucy Sheppard,
Madeleine Drury Editor: Max Deveson


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