How did supporters of Alassane Ouattara argue that he could seek a third term in 2020?

Supporters of Alassane Ouattara argued that he was eligible to seek a third term in 2020 based on the interpretation that the promulgation of a new constitution in 2016 effectively reset the two-term limit established by the previous constitution.123

While the opposition maintained that the two-term limit remained in effect and that Ouattara’s candidacy was unconstitutional, Ouattara and his allies held that the 2016 constitutional changes cleared the counter, thereby allowing him to run again. This legal theory became the basis for his candidacy after the unexpected death of his chosen successor, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, prompted Ouattara to enter the race for the 2020 presidential election.123