Alassane Ouattara has won a fourth consecutive term in Côte d’Ivoire’s presidential election, according to provisional results announced Monday by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).
The 83-year-old incumbent received 89.77% of the votes cast in the October 25 poll, while turnout was estimated at just over 50% of the nation’s 8.7 million registered voters, the CEI reported.
Four other candidates took part in the race, including Jean-Louis Billon, Simone Ehivet, Henriette Lagou, and Ahoua Don Mello, but none came close to challenging the president’s dominant lead. Billon, an independent candidate and former commerce minister, conceded defeat on Sunday and congratulated Ouattara on his victory.
However, the election unfolded against a backdrop of boycotts and controversy, with major opposition leaders Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam barred from running after their candidacies were rejected by the Constitutional Council. Their coalition, the PPA-CI/PDCI Joint Front, urged supporters to stay away from the polls, calling the process unfair.
The CEI’s provisional results must now be validated by the Constitutional Council before the outcome becomes official. If confirmed, Ouattara; who first came to power in 2011, will begin another four-year term, extending his rule.
