By Ebi Kesiena
Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast president has secured a fourth term in office, with a commanding landslide victory, following Saturday’s presidential vote, according to provisional results released by the Independent Electoral Commission on Monday.
The 83 year old former international banker won 89.77 percent of the vote, maintaining his long record of decisive victories since first coming to power in 2011. The commission said nearly nine million people were eligible to vote, although only around half of them turned out.
Observers say the turnout was similar to the participation seen in the 2010 and 2015 presidential contests, yet far lower than the nearly 80 percent that voted during the first round in 2010. In northern strongholds, where support for the President remains strong, some localities reported turnout close to 100 percent.
The result is expected to be confirmed by the Constitutional Council in the coming days. Former commerce minister Jean Louis Billon congratulated the President on Sunday when early tallies showed Ouattara with a commanding lead nationwide.
Ouattara’s government points to more than a decade of relative stability and steady economic growth in the worlds largest cocoa producing nation as evidence of continued public confidence. The country has grown more attractively to investors since the political crisis of the early 2010s, although critics say many Ivorians have not seen enough improvement in daily living conditions.
Under the current constitution, presidents are limited to two terms. The President and his supporters argue that the adoption of a new constitution in 2016 reset the clock, allowing him to run again in both 2020 and 2025. Opponents maintain that this interpretation undermines constitutional safeguards and risks weakening democratic norms.
Meanwhile, Ibrahime Coulibaly Kuibiert, Electoral commission chairman repeated that the vote was conducted properly and said the turnout figure reflects voter choice rather than any systemic problem.
