Ivory Coast held crucial legislative elections on Saturday, a key political test following President Alassane Ouattara's controversial re-election two months prior. The polls aim to determine the composition of the 255-seat National Assembly, where Ouattara's Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) currently holds a commanding majority.
Voting Under Challenging Conditions
Polling stations in the economic capital, Abidjan, opened an hour behind schedule due to torrential rain. Despite the weather, citizens turned out to cast their ballots. At Notre Dame College in the Plateau district, voters queued beneath a large portrait of the nation's founding president, Felix Houphouet-Boigny.
Young voters expressed hope for change. "I don't feel represented in the national assembly," said 21-year-old Assi Gilles Darus Aka. He told journalists he was voting to elect a candidate who would champion projects for the professional integration of students.
A Political Landscape Shaped by Exclusion
The legislative contest unfolds in the shadow of the October presidential election, where 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara secured a fourth term with nearly 90% of the vote. That election was marked by the exclusion of major opposition figures and was followed by violence that claimed eleven lives and led to dozens of arrests, including an opposition deputy.
The political divide is stark. The party of former President Laurent Gbagbo, the PPA-CI, is boycotting the legislative election after Gbagbo was barred from the presidential race due to a criminal conviction. However, about 20 of its members are still standing as candidates.
Another excluded presidential hopeful, Tidjane Thiam, saw his PDCI party field candidates. In a sign of ongoing political tensions, the party's spokesman, Soumaila Bredoumy, was detained in November on accusations of "terrorism" and "plotting against state authority".
Key Figures and Future Implications
High-profile candidates in the legislative race include Prime Minister Robert Beugre Mambe and the president's brother, Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara. Their participation underscores the importance of the election for the ruling party's grip on power.
The outcome will determine whether President Ouattara can govern with a parliamentary majority to implement his agenda, or if a more fragmented assembly will emerge, potentially complicating his next five-year term. The vote is seen as a barometer of political stability in this key West African nation following a period of electoral strife.
