ABIDJAN, Cote d’Ivoire — Incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, representing the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace, has won a fourth term in Cote d’Ivoire’s presidential election, capturing 89.77 percent of the vote, according to provisional results released Monday by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).
The CEI reported that Ouattara received 3,759,030 votes out of 4,187,318 valid ballots cast, with voter turnout recorded at 50.10 percent among the nation’s 8.7 million registered voters, both domestically and abroad.
His challengers, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo of the Movement of Capable Generations, Jean-Louis Billon of the Democratic Congress, independent candidate Ahoua Don Mello, and Henriette Lagou Adjoua of the Group of Political Partners for Peace, secured 2.42 percent, 3.09 percent, 1.97 percent, and 1.15 percent of the vote, respectively.
Following the announcement of the preliminary results on Sunday evening, Billon conceded defeat and congratulated Ouattara on his victory.
The election was held in a “generally calm and peaceful” environment, though the CEI and electoral observers noted some “marginal and isolated incidents” in the western, central-western, and southern regions. These incidents ranging from vandalism of electoral materials to road blockages and intimidation of officials did not compromise the overall integrity of the vote.
Ouattara, 83, has a long-standing record in public service, having served as governor of the Central Bank of West African States and deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund. He was Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire from 1990 to 1993, and first won the presidency in 2010, officially assuming office in 2011. He was subsequently re-elected in 2015 and 2020.
Under Ivorian law, the president is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. The Constitutional Council will formally validate the final results, and candidates have five days to lodge any appeals.