Results of the municipal and regional elections in Côte d’Ivoire: The RHDP triumphs, but the opposition resists
The results of the municipal and regional elections in Côte d’Ivoire were announced by the Independent Electoral Commission last Monday. And unsurprisingly, the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), the party of President Alassane Ouattara, emerged as the big winner of this double ballot.
The RHDP wins the majority of town halls and regional councils, with 125 municipalities out of 201 and 25 regions out of 30. A real tidal wave for the ruling party, which thus consolidates its dominant position on the Ivorian political spectrum.
The emblematic figures of the RHDP are not to be outdone, with the victory of Prime Minister Patrick Achi in Mé, Minister of Youth Mamadou Touré in Haut-Sassandra, Minister of Public Service Anne Ouloto in Cavally, and of the minister Director of cabinet of the presidency Fidèle Sarrassoro in the Poro.
However, despite this landslide victory of the RHDP, the opposition manages to resist. The African Peoples’ Party-Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI) and the Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), allied in several localities, managed to win a region, Nawa, as well as ten communes such as Lakota and Blolequin. The PDCI, led by Henri Konan Bédié, also manages to hold on to its historic strongholds, such as Yamoussoukro, Daoukro, Toumodi and the Iffou region.
The Ivorian Popular Front, meanwhile, suffered a crushing defeat by losing Moronou, the stronghold of its leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan. The party therefore emerges from this double ballot without any elected.
It is interesting to note that the participation rate remains relatively stable compared to previous elections, with 44.61% for the regional election and 36.18% for the municipal ones. Although these figures are down from 2018, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission considers them “acceptable”.
It should also be noted that the results of the last two polls were delayed due to acts of vandalism that occurred after the count. The IEC should announce them soon.
In conclusion, these municipal and regional elections in Côte d’Ivoire confirmed the supremacy of the RHDP, but also showed that the opposition is still able to resist and win victories in certain strongholds. The Ivorian political landscape therefore remains marked by a certain plurality, thus strengthening democracy and the diversity of voices in the country.