Municipal and regional elections have occupied a prominent place in the political news in recent weeks. Indeed, these elections have made it possible to draw the contours of the political landscape in anticipation of the presidential election of 2025. In this article, we will come back to the main lessons of these elections and analyze the results obtained by the different parties.
The Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) made a real breakthrough in these elections. With 60% of municipalities and a majority of regions, the party in power confirms its popularity with voters. Some senior RHDP officials have even achieved impressive scores in their respective regions. This is the case of Téné Birahima Ouattara, Minister of Defence, who won 98% of the votes in Tchologo, or of Mariétou Koné, Minister of Education, who obtained 93.48% of the votes in Boundiali. These results testify to the confidence placed in the ruling party and strengthen its legitimacy.
On the other hand, the Party for Peace in Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) experienced difficulties during these elections. Party officials were defeated in several localities, notably in Yopougon, considered a bastion favorable to Laurent Gbagbo. For the PPA-CI, it is time to draw lessons from this election and think about a new strategy to mobilize voters. The low turnout of 27.67% in this commune shows that the mobilization was insufficient and raises questions about the future of the party.
As for the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA), its record is mixed. The party of the late Henri Konan Bédié retains its influence in certain regions such as Iffou, Yamoussoukro, as well as in the communes of Plateau and Cocody. However, party leaders were defeated in Haut-Sassandra and Gbéké, and the PDCI-RDA failed to recapture the town of Bouaké. Some party officials express their disappointment, regretting the administrative division which, according to them, favors the ruling party.
These municipal and regional elections have enabled the various political parties to take stock of their situation and prepare for the 2025 presidential election. The results obtained by the RHDP testify to its popularity with voters, while the PPA-CI and the PDCI-RDA must rethink their strategies to win back their electorate. The political future of Côte d’Ivoire is taking shape little by little, and we will have to closely follow the next elections to grasp all the issues.