Ivory Coast
(French Côte d'Ivoire)
Country in W Africa, bounded N by Mali and Burkina Faso, E by Ghana,
S by the Gulf of Guinea, and W by Liberia and Guinea.
Government
The 1960 constitution, amended 1971, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1994,
provides for a president who is head of state, elected by universal
suffrage for a five-year term, and a single-chamber national assembly
of 175 members, also popularly elected and serving a five-year term.
The president appoints a prime minister as head of government. Until
1990, the only political party was the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire
(PDCI), but a multiparty system now operates. A 1994 constitutional
amendment required all future presidential candidates to be Ivorian
by birth of Ivorian parents.
History
It was given self-government within the French Community 1958 and full
independence 1960, when a new constitution was adopted. Félix Houphouët-Boigny,
who was the country's first president, maintained close links with France,
and this support, combined with a good economic growth rate, gave his
country a high degree of political stability. He was criticized by some
other African leaders for maintaining links with South Africa but defended
this policy by arguing that a dialogue between blacks and whites was
essential. He denounced communist intervention in African affairs and
travelled extensively to improve relations with Western powers.
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