Human rights — Democracy — Obligation of State to establish independent and impartial electoral body — Whether Côte d’Ivoire’s electoral law violating its obligation to establish independent and impartial electoral body and right of its citizens to participate in public affairs — Commitments under international human rights treaties ratified by State — African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, 2007 — ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, 2001

Human rights — Rights to equality before law and equal protection of law — Obligation of State to protect citizens’ rights — Whether electoral law violating Côte d’Ivoire’s commitments to protect its citizens’ rights to equality before the law and equal protection of law under international human rights treaties ratified by State — African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, 2007 — ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, 2001 — African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 1981 — Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 — International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966

International tribunals — African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights — Jurisdiction — Preliminary examination — Obligation of court to carry out preliminary examination of its jurisdiction — Material jurisdiction — Jurisdiction to interpret and apply human rights ratified by State — Whether African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, 2007 and ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, 2001 constituting “human rights instruments” within meaning of Article 3(1) of Protocol to African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 1998 — Admissibility of application — Exhaustion of local remedies — Use of insulting or disparaging language in application