Ouattara Poised for Fourth Term as Ivory Coast Vote Counting Begins Amid Democratic Concerns
Ivory Coast :Vote counting is underway in Ivory Coast’s presidential election, which President Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to win, securing a fourth term in office. The election, held on Saturday, proceeded mostly peacefully but was marred by concerns over the erosion of democracy after key opposition figures were barred from running.
Ballot casting hours were extended in several locations due to late openings. “Polls closed at 6:00 p.m., but some voting centers didn’t start on time, so for those, the law permits that voting continues to cover a period of 10 hours,” said Independent Electoral Commission Chairman Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert in Abidjan, the country’s commercial hub.
Although voting took place in a calm atmosphere, minor incidents of violence were reported, including clashes between voters and damage to electoral equipment in parts of the west and Abidjan. Some polling stations experienced technical failures with electronic devices, but officials said manual systems ensured the process continued smoothly.
The electoral commission has until October 30 to announce provisional results, while the Constitutional Council will issue the final declaration thereafter.
Observers from regional organizations, including the Central African Economic and Monetary Community and the Mano River Union, praised the general conduct of the polls. “Despite a few tensions here and there, the majority remained focused,” said Cyrille Nguiegang Ntchassep, spokesman for the Central African observer mission.
Mamadi Dioumessy, Secretary General of the Mano River Union, echoed the sentiment, noting that political parties reported no major constraints and commending security forces for maintaining order at polling stations.
Still, the exclusion of prominent opposition leaders Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo by the courts has cast a shadow over the election, raising questions about the state of democracy in the world’s top cocoa producer.
