00:00Ivory Coast's presidential race takes a dramatic turn as two major opposition figures are now
00:07officially barred from next month's election.
00:10The Constitutional Council announced that former President Laurent Gbagbo and former
00:14Credit Suisse CEO Tijan Thiam are inevitable to run in the October 25th vote.
00:21The council cited their removal from the electoral roll as the reason for their exclusion.
00:26Tiam, leader of the PDCI, Ivory Coast's largest opposition party, was removed in April due
00:33to nationality-related legal issues after acquiring French citizenship.
00:38Gbagbo, head of the African People's Party, was excluded because of a past criminal conviction.
00:44Despite their disqualifications, both men had formally submitted their candidacies to challenge
00:49President Alassane Ouattara, who was seeking a fourth term at the age of 83, with their
00:55exclusion, five candidates remain in the race, including former First Lady Simone Yvette Gbagbo.
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