ABIDJAN, March 5 (Xinhua) --  Côte d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara announced Thursday in Yamoussoukro that he will not seek a third term in the presidential election scheduled for October.

"I decided not to be a candidate in the presidential election," said Ouattara during a speech at the Parliament. Ouattara justified his decision by his desire to leave "room for the young generations".

The question of a third term for President Ouattara has fueled political suspicion since the adoption of the 2016 Constitution.

Ouattara has long maintained his vagueness over his candidacy for a third term while indicating that the constitution allows him to do so.

The political opposition and other observers, for their part, considered that the 2016 Constitution which maintained the principle of two terms for the President of the Republic did not authorize Alassane Ouattara to seek a third term.