Two members of the party of former Ivorian president and now opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo were arrested and charged on Tuesday, notably with "calling for insurrection," less than a month before the presidential election, their lawyer and the party said.

The political climate is tense in Côte d'Ivoire, particularly after the Constitutional Council rejected the candidacies of opposition leaders, including Laurent Gbagbo, for the October 25 election.

The opposition also criticizes the candidacy for a fourth term of outgoing President Alassane Ouattara, which it considers unconstitutional.

The arrest and indictment of Blaise Lasm and Nestor Dahi, both deputy secretaries general of the African Peoples' Party - Côte d'Ivoire (PPA-CI), was confirmed to AFP by their lawyer, Roselyne Serikpa, and the party's executive president, Sébastien Dano Djedje.

They are being prosecuted for "calls for insurrection and endangering state security, disturbing public order and failing to comply with a decision of the Constitutional Council," said Mr. Serikpa, who indicated that they have been remanded in custody.

In mid-September, Ivorian government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly warned that those who challenged "the decisions of the Constitutional Council would be punished by law."

The Ivorian fundamental law provides for a maximum of two terms, but the Constitutional Council considers that with the new Constitution adopted in 2016, the counter of presidential mandates had been reset to zero.

On Monday, several PPA-CI officials, including Damana Pickass, one of Laurent Gbagbo's close collaborators, were questioned by the public prosecutor.

"He warned us that if any movement were to disturb public order anywhere in the country, he would be obliged to arrest us and detain us," Mr. Pickass declared after the hearing.

Eleven members of the PPA-CI were arrested in early August and are being prosecuted for "terrorist acts" following incidents in the commune of Yopougon, in Abidjan.

In addition to Laurent Gbagbo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI, the main opposition party), Tidjane Thiam, also saw his candidacy rejected.

Both parties called for a march in Abidjan on Saturday "for democracy, justice and peace."

Four opposition candidates are qualified to challenge Alassane Ouattara: former Trade Minister Jean-Louis Billon, a PDCI dissident; two former comrades of Laurent Gbagbo who have broken with him; his ex-wife Simone Ehivet Gbagbo; and former Minister Ahoua Don Mello; and finally, Henriette Lagou, who was already a candidate in 2015.