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The government of Ivory Coast is run by both the president and the prime minister with the government split into three branches: the judiciary, executive, and legislature. The president is the head of the executive arm of government and has the responsibility of appointing the prime minister. The prime minister of Ivory Coast is the head of government and coordinates all governmental function. This includes proposing other government officials for appointment by the president and terminates their function with the consultation with the president. The prime minister also fills in as president when the president is absent from the country’s territory. The president can also delegate by decree some of his powers to the prime minister for a limited time.

Prime Ministers

Félix Houphouët-Boigny

Félix Houphouët-Boigny was Ivory Coast’s first prime minister who served for three months from August 7 to November 27, 1960, before becoming the country’s first president. Before his appointment to the premier’s position, he served in several ministerial positions within the French government. During his tenure as the prime minister of Ivory Coast, he facilitated the transition of the country’s government from the French colonial powers. He also drew a constitution for the country within this period of three months, a constitution that was heavily drawn from the US and the French constitution. Houphouet also transformed the national assembly into just a recording house for bills and budget proposals. He was a key figure in the decolonization of Africa. He was elected Ivory Coast’s president on November 27, 1960, and served until his death on December 7, 1993.

Alassane Ouattara

Alassane Ouattara, the incumbent president of the Republic of Ivory Coast, was the country’s second prime minister. The premier’s position which had been abolished when Houphouet assumed the presidency in 1960 was re-introduced in November 1990 under the pressure from IMF. Ouattara ,who had been serving as the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Coordination of the Stabilization and Economic Recovery Program of Ivory Coast, was appointed the country’s second prime minister. While serving as the country’s premier, Ouattara illegally tried to carry out the president’s duties for a period of 18 months. When Houphouet died in 1993, Ouattara and Bedie were engaged in a power struggle of which Bedie prevailed. Ouattara resigned on December 9, 1993, and returned to IMF as Deputy Managing Director. He was elected president of the Ivory Coast in the hotly contested 2010 presidential election.

Seydou Diarra

Seydou Diarra served as Ivory Coast’s prime minister in 2000 and again from 2003 to 2005. Before his appointment as the country’s fourth premier Diarra was the ambassador to European Economic Community and also to Brazil. He also served in some ministerial positions including Ministry of State for Planning and Development. After the military coup in December 1999, he was appointed the prime minister from May to October 2000. He later assumed the position of prime minister in February 2003 as a compromise candidate to end the civil war that had lasted from 2002 to 2003. He was replaced by Charles Konan Banny on December 5, 2005.

The Incumbent Prime Minister

The incumbent premier, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, has served since 2017. He was formerly a technical adviser to Alassane Outtara.