Ivorians Head to the Polls in Tense Presidential Election

Côte d'Ivoire is holding a highly anticipated presidential election, with incumbent Alassane Ouattara seeking a fourth term. The election features four candidates, including two women, but key opposition figures are absent from the ballot. The election comes at a time of heightened tension, with over 44,000 security forces deployed nationwide and three people killed in recent weeks. The absence of prominent opposition candidates has led to concerns about turnout and the potential for violence. Despite the country's economic progress, the election highlights the deep-seated regional and ethnic divisions that have plagued Côte d'Ivoire since the end of one-party rule in 1990.

Key Takeaways:

• Incumbent Alassane Ouattara, 83, is seeking a fourth term in the presidential election, but key opposition figures are not on the ballot.
• The election features four candidates, including two women: Simone Gbagbo, ex-wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo, and Henriette Lagou, a women's rights campaigner.
• The absence of prominent opposition candidates has led to concerns about turnout and the potential for violence, with around 44,000 security forces deployed nationwide.
• The presidential election could follow regional lines, with analysts predicting that turnout may be lower in southern and western regions due to historical support for Gbagbo or the PDCI.
• The country's history of violence and coups, including the 2010 election and the subsequent civil war, has left deep-seated regional and ethnic divisions.
• The election commission has barred former president Laurent Gbagbo and former international banker Tidjane Thiam from standing due to legal issues and a criminal conviction.
• The election will go to a second round if no candidate wins a majority of the vote, which could lead to further instability.

Statistics:

• 850,000 voters were turned away in the 2020 parliamentary elections over allegations of electoral fraud.
• 44,000 security forces have been deployed nationwide in the run-up to the vote.
• Three people died over the past few weeks, and more than 700 were arrested as marches were quashed.
• Around 30 people were sentenced to three years in prison for disturbing public order.
• Over 32 million people live in Côte d'Ivoire, the region's most dynamic economy.
• The number of registered voters is nearly 8.7 million.

Sources:

• William Assanvo, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, told AFP news agency that the absence of the two main opponents "will demobilise a significant portion of the electorate".
• Bley, historian of Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan, told RFI that "the country is still divided between the north and the south, and no one has forgotten the violence of the war of 2010 to 2011".
• Radio France Internationale - All rights of reproduction and distribution reserved.
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