Ivory Coast: Ouattara Re-elected for 4th Term
Ivory Coast returned to the polls amid tension and distrust. President Alassane Ouattara was re-elected for a fourth term with 89,7% of the vote, according to provisional results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The normally bustling streets of Abidjan were nearly deserted during the vote, marked by low turnout and the weight of a recent history of political divisions and successive crises. Around 8,7 million voters were registered to vote, but a climate of apathy and fear marked the election.
Although the campaign ran from October 10 to 25, the opposition early on challenged the legitimacy of the process, denouncing political persecution and arbitrary exclusions.
Ouattara Retains Power
According to CEI data, Alassane Ouattara, from the Union of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party, Alassane Ouattara obtained 89,7% of the votes, well ahead of his opponents, in these last elections in Ivory Coast.
Jean-Louis Billon, former Minister of Commerce and influential businessman, came in second with just 3%, followed by former First Lady Simone Gbagbo with 2,4%. The remaining candidates, Ahoua Don Mello and Henriette Lagou, both scored below 2%.
Despite the resounding victory, the electoral process was widely criticized. The Constitutional Council rejected around 60 candidacies, including those of the main opponents: Laurent Gbagbo, barred from running due to a 2018 conviction, and Tidjane Thiam, excluded for nationality reasons.
This exclusion fueled the feeling that the presidential race was an uneven and predictable contest. As several political analysts have stated, Ouattara's victory was "an announced result”, not by the strength of the vote, but by the fragility of the opposition camp and the control of the State apparatus.
Abstention was a major factor in this election. In several urban areas, notably Abidjan, low voter turnout was observed, with many polling stations virtually empty throughout the day.
Scattered protests marked the weeks leading up to the vote.
The opposition demanded inclusive political dialogue and denounced what it called the regime's "authoritarian drift." According to official sources, one protester died and around 700 people were arrested. The opposition, however, reports three fatalities and accuses the government of systematic repression.
A Controversial President
At 83, Alassane Ouattara is one of West Africa's most experienced political figures. A US-trained economist and former director of the International Monetary Fund, he came to power in 2010 after a turbulent election that plunged the country into a new post-election crisis, resulting in more than 3 deaths.
Since then, Ivory Coast has experienced economic stability and average annual growth above 7%, driven primarily by cocoa exports—the country is the world's largest producer, accounting for about 40% of global production. However, this prosperity has not been accompanied by lasting national reconciliation.
Critics accuse Ouattara of ruling with an iron fist and monopolizing political power, marginalizing opposition forces. His party, the RHDP, has consolidated control of institutions, and attempts at political change have been thwarted by legal exclusions and the weight of the state apparatus.
Ivory Coast still bears the scars of the 2002–2007 civil war that divided the country between north and south, along ethnic and political lines that persist to this day. Although formal peace returned more than a decade ago, simmering tensions continue to influence the political landscape.
Since 1995, the country has not experienced a peaceful transition of power. With each election, the wounds of the past resurface, and the promise of democratic stability is put to the test. Ouattara's reelection—although legitimized by the ballot box—is, for many, confirmation that Côte d'Ivoire remains hostage to its own political cycle.
A Mandate of Challenges
As he enters his fourth term, Ouattara faces complex challenges. International pressure for democratic reforms is growing, while domestic discontent is growing among young people, who represent over 60% of the country's 32 million population. Unemployment, inequality, and the centralization of power are issues that threaten the country's future stability.
Analysts believe that Ouattara's success in this new cycle will depend less on his economic performance and more on his ability to promote genuine national dialogue. Without reconciliation, they warn, the risk of new political and social tensions will always be present.
Conclusion
Alassane Ouattara's victory confirms the continuity of a leadership that, while bringing macroeconomic stability, divides Ivorian society between those who see him as a guarantor of progress and those who consider him a symbol of a closed and immovable power.
The challenge now is reconciliation—not just political, but also social. In a country where each election rekindles memories of war, the future will depend on the state's ability to listen to the voices that remain excluded from the democratic process.
Ivory Coast, West Africa's economic powerhouse and the world's largest cocoa producer, is once again experiencing the African paradox: prosperity and apparent peace sustained on a terrain of inequality and silence. Time will tell whether this fourth term will be the beginning of a real transition or merely the repetition of a cycle that refuses to close.
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Picture: © 2019 DR
