Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term as President of Ivory Coast with a staggering 89.8% of the vote, according to provisional results. This victory comes amidst significant controversy after two of his major rivals were barred from the election.
The electoral commission announced that businessman Jeal-Louis Billon was the closest contender, obtaining only 3.09% of the votes. Voter turnout was reportedly low, at 50.1%, given the backstory of opposition boycott calls from former President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, who both urged their supporters not to participate in the election.
Simone Gbagbo, ex-wife of Laurent Gbagbo, was permitted to run and garnered 2.42% of the vote. The election results are still provisional and are pending final validation by the Constitutional Council, which will also handle any election-related petitions.
The opposition coalition, consisting of Gbagbo’s and Thiam’s parties, labeled the election as a 'civilian coup d'etat', stating they would not recognize Ouattara's leadership as valid.
Ouattara initially became President in 2011 following the arrest of Gbagbo, who refused to concede defeat in 2010. Although constitutionally limited to two terms, a 2016 amendment allowed Ouattara to run again in 2020, which he won amid another boycott from his opponents.
