Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara, 83, has secured a fourth term in office following a contentious election. Provisional results show he won in a landslide with nearly 90% of the vote, with official results to be announced later. However, the election was marred by the exclusion of two major opposition figures, former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam. Both men were barred from running and subsequently urged their supporters to boycott the vote, which contributed to a notably low voter turnout of just over 50%. The opposition has denounced the process as a “civilian coup d’état” and refuses to recognize the outcome. This victory extends a period of political dominance for Ouattara, who first came to power in 2011 and bypassed a two-term limit through a constitutional change in 2016.
BBC
