However his popularity declined in the face of corruption and mismanagement, and his struggle with Ouattara became increasingly destabilising. Opposition protests mounted in December 1999 when the Government issued a warrant for Ouattara arrest. An army revolt, allegedly over a pay dispute, on Christmas Eve 1999 saw the government taken over by retired General Guei. A transitional government was established and Military ruler General Robert Guei has called a presidential election for 17 September. French is the official language.
Executive power is vested in the president, who is also head of the armed forces.
The President appoints the Prime Minister, who, in turn, appoints the Council of Ministers. Legislation may be introduced either by the President, or by a member of the Assembly. Despite constitutional provisions allowing for the creation of political parties, political life in Cote d'Ivoire has been dominated since independence by the PDCI-RDA, which was the sole registered party until 1990. Under constitutional amendments submitted by the President and approved by the legislature in 1998, provision has been made for the establishment of a Senate as a second chamber of the legislature, and for the President of the Senate to assume the presidency, on an interim basis, in the event of the death or incapacity of the President, pending the holding of elections within three to six months. Drought, and falling commodity prices, were the major factors behind the decline.