Ivorian elections: President re-elected according to early results

Provisional results of the Ivorian presidential elections show Alassane Ouattara leading with close to 90% of the vote, according to an article by RFI on October 27th.

Ouattara, representing the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), has been in power since 2011 and will likely win his fourth mandate.

The RHDP is considered a right-wing party, focusing on developing the country’s economy and infrastructure. It is by far the dominant party in the Ivory Coast, controlling the political landscape and tightly managing opposition activity.

Alassane Ouattara, now aged 83, has a successful financial record: under his leadership, the Ivory Coast’s GDP has grown steadily, by an average of 6% annually. The country also now ranks among the largest economies in West Africa, reflecting sustained economic expansion over the past decade.

As an economist who worked for the International Monetary Fund in Washington, he is an experienced politician who keeps cordial relationships with Western powers, in particular with France.

He has also been very involved in diplomatic missions within ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), an important step at a very turbulent time for West Africa and the Sahel region.

Nevertheless, his leadership hasn’t been spared controversy: Ivory Coast’s Constitution limits presidential mandates to two, and large protests were organised in 2020 when Ouattara won his third mandate. This time around, the situation seemed calmer, but there is deep-seated discontent, particularly with the youth, most affected by poverty and precarious work.

None of Ouattara’s four adversaries, including former First Lady Simone Ehivet and palm oil tycoon Jean-Louis Billon, made it past the 5% mark. His main opponents, former president Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, had been barred from standing by the Constitutional Council, clearing the way for Ouattara’s landslide victory.

Billon has already conceded defeat, sending a congratulations message to Ouattara. However, he also acknowledged that participation levels had been low.

Levels reached 50% in some areas, while in others such as Cocody, an affluent suburb of Abidjan, less than a third of registered voters cast their votes. In the South and West of the country, regions that usually support Thiam’s main opposition party, many voters also stayed home.

RFI, Maghrebi