The ruling party in Côte d’Ivoire was heading for a large victory in the local elections on Sunday evening, September 3, which were held the day before calmly, according to the results announced in dribs and drabs by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). The results of some 112 municipalities were known on Sunday evening, out of the 201 who were at stake on Saturday and the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) won more than two thirds.

The two main opposition parties, the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) and the African Peoples’ Party-Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), despite being allies in many localities, only won a fifteen municipalities, the rest going to independent candidates. Many executives of the ruling party won, starting with the President of the National Assembly Adama Bictogo, winner in the commune of Yopougon with 44% of the vote.

In this key election to win the largest municipality of Abidjan and its 1.5 million inhabitants, he took advantage of one of the rare places of disunity in the opposition to precede Michel Gbagbo, the son of the former President Laurent Gbagbo, PPA-CI candidate (37%) and PDCI candidate Augustin Dia Houphouet (19%). The latter, however, denounced irregularities Sunday in a press release.

Adama Bictogo will have the majority on the municipal council, since this one-round ballot ensures 50% of the seats for the list that comes first. Several ministers also imposed themselves: Mariatou Koné (national education) in Boundiali (north), Kandia Camara (foreign affairs) in Abobo, a large popular commune of Abidjan or even Amadou Koné (transport) in the large city of Bouaké in the center from the country.

The opposition retains some strongholds

Thirty-one regional councils were also renewed on Saturday. Of the eight whose results have already been revealed by the IEC, all were won by the RHDP with in particular victories for Prime Minister Patrick Achi in Mé (south) and Defense Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara in Tchologo (north). .

The opposition retains a few strongholds, notably the well-to-do town of Cocody, in Abidjan, where Jean-Marc Yacé (PDCI) won despite the dissident candidacy within his own camp of Yasmina Ouegnin. “The elections took place in a peaceful atmosphere,” CEI spokesman Emile Ebrottié said before reading the first results on national television.

A few altercations were reported by the citizen platform Aube nouvelle, which identifies potential sources of conflagration, but the ballot generally took place without major incident throughout the territory. In 2020, 85 people were killed in presidential unrest.

These local elections should make it possible to take stock of the balance of power between power and opposition two years from the next presidential election in 2025 for which President Alassane Ouattara has not yet decided whether or not he is seeking a fourth term. Results will continue to be released until Monday.