For these first local elections since 2018, the four major political parties, the Rally of Houphouetists for Peace and Democracy (RHDP, in power), the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI ) and the African Peoples’ Party-Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) are in the running.
93 candidate lists for a total of 5,247 candidates compete for the regional elections against 750 candidate lists representing 30,419 candidates for the municipal elections. Polling stations, packed with voters, opened, for the most part, at the time indicated by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) at 8 a.m.
After Saturday’s vote, the first results published this Sunday gave the ruling party the lead in the majority of the first municipalities. These results were revealed in around forty municipalities out of the 201 that were at stake on September 2. In 25 of them, the Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la democratie et la paix (RHDP) came out on top, nine being won by independent candidates and four by the opposition.
Among the executives of the ruling party, the Minister for Women, Nasseneba Touré, was notably re-elected in Odienne (north-west).
At Sainte-Marie high school in Cocody, east of Abidjan, where he cast his vote at 11 a.m. local time and GMT, President Alassane Ouattara welcomed an electoral campaign that was “appeased”, despite “a few incidents here and there, tearing of photos of candidates, but no major incidents”, he said.
“What I want is for election day to go the same way as campaigning. Both say that there are many independent candidates, you know my position on this issue, but even if there are sanctions, this reflects a certain vitality of our democracy, added Head of State Ivorian, who wants “the elections to take place in good conditions and that participation is as high as possible”.
However, noting the high number of independent candidates, Mr. Ouattara quipped that “tonight we will see the fate of the independents”, adding that when it comes to the traditional parties, “we have to work with confidence.” This is the first local election and everyone will be able to participate or has participated,” he continued.
He recalled that in 2018, “there are parties that did not participate for their own reasons, I am happy for this time”, calling for a “massive vote”.
In Yopougon, where he is a candidate, the President of the National Assembly, Adama Bictogo, head of the RHDP list, arrived at 9:28 a.m. at the polling center of the modern high school of AndoKoi to cast his vote, at the end of which he called for a “mature and peaceful” vote.
“It is always a great pleasure to perform civic duty. This reflects civic engagement, republican engagement. This civic act is important not because I am a candidate, but also important for the population of Yopougon”, declared Adama Bictogo who has his attachment to national unity, affirming his respect for “all citizens, whatever their affiliations. policies, ethnic origins, religious beliefs, or areas of origin. For me, the main thing lies in the unity of Côte d’Ivoire,” he concluded.
For his opponent Michel Koudou Gbagbo, candidate of the PPA-CI, “happy to have fulfilled my civic duty”, the CEI must play fair to “communicate the only voices coming out of the ballot box”. “For this election in which all parties have participated since 2018, the IEC is put to the test. Having carried out a responsible campaign in calm and serenity, we do not doubt our victory. And there is no reason for us to doubt moreover, “said the PPA-CI candidate, inviting the populations to” participate massively in the vote “.
More than 23,000 polling stations are listed throughout the Ivorian territory to fill 201 municipalities and 31 regions of Côte d’Ivoire.
