The party of former Ivorian president and now opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo will not participate in the legislative elections at the end of December, the political group announced Thursday evening, whose senior official has been charged with "terrorist acts" in connection with the October presidential election.

Mr. Gbagbo, like other political figures, was barred from the presidential election due to a court ruling. The opposition strongly criticized the election, which was won with nearly 90% of the vote by the incumbent president, Alassane Ouattara.

On Thursday evening, following a meeting, the African People's Party - Ivory Coast (PPA-CI) of Laurent Gbagbo decided "not to participate in the next legislative elections", it announced in a statement.

He cites "two essential reasons: the conditions for credible elections are not met", and "the deteriorating socio-political environment is not conducive to them (repression, persecution, judicial harassment)".

"The government should agree to postpone the date of the elections," said Laurent Gbagbo at the meeting, according to an excerpt of his speech broadcast on the party's Facebook page.

The legislative elections are scheduled for December 27th. The main opposition party, the PDCI of Tidjane Thiam, allied with the PPA-CI within the "Common Front", has announced its participation.

"Going there in December is to cover up the wrongdoing that took place, it is to cover up the injuries and the deaths," said Mr. Gbagbo.

The presidential election was generally peaceful, although there was violence in a country where presidential elections are often synonymous with political tensions.

In total, 11 people died in pre-election protests or in intercommunal clashes on election day, according to official sources. The opposition claims a death toll of 27.

More than a hundred people have been sentenced to three years in prison for participating in these demonstrations.

- Call to demonstrate -

Also on Thursday, a senior PPA-CI official, Damana Pickass, was charged and placed under arrest warrant, notably for "terrorist acts" related to the presidential election, announced the public prosecutor Oumar Braman Koné in a statement.

Mr. Pickass was arrested on Tuesday near Abidjan. The prosecutor believed he had "called for popular insurrection and the overthrow of institutions."

A long-time supporter of Laurent Gbagbo and a proponent of the hardline wing of his party, he last appeared on October 16, when he called on Ivorians to demonstrate in a video of about twenty minutes.

The charges against him also include, among others, "murder", "interference with electoral operations", "participation in an insurrectionary movement" and "conspiracy against the authority of the State", according to the statement.

The PPA-CI said it "demands his immediate and unconditional release".

"These are excessive charges that he denies," his lawyer, Roselyne Serikpa, told AFP. She added that "some believe he faces a life sentence."

At the beginning of the year, Mr. Pickass was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "undermining state security", relating to events dating back to 2021. In the absence of a warrant for his arrest, he was not incarcerated, as happens in Ivory Coast, even for heavy sentences.

The PPA-CI recently called for a demonstration on Saturday, notably to denounce the violence that took place during the election.

Alassane Ouattara, re-elected for a fourth term, will be sworn in on the second Monday of December - this year, the 8th - as required by the Constitution.