On Saturday, between 8 am and 6 pm (GMT) on a field of five candidates, nearly nine million Ivorians will cast their ballots.
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However, oppositional power brokers are not contesting the post. Both former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam and former President Laurent Gbagbo are prohibited from standing in court for both having criminal convictions and obtaining French citizenship.
The 83-year-old candidate’s inclusion, according to critics, gave Ouattara, a significant advantage and essentially opened the door for his fourth term.
None of his four rivals are affiliated with an established party, and neither do the Rally of Houphouetistes for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) ruling party.
Former first lady Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, 76, is attempting to woo backers from her ex-husband’s supporters while agriculturalman and former trade minister Jean-Louis Billon, 60, is hoping to do so.
Gbagbo and Ahoua Don Mello, a civil engineer and pan-African with Russian sympathies, have a say in the left-wing vote. One of the first two women to run for president in 2015, the Group of Political Partners for Peace, represents a centrist coalition.
As the first voters began to line up early on Saturday at the Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan, the atmosphere appeared calm.
Konate Adama told Al Jazeera, “This vote means a lot to us. We must elect a winner of these elections. It will bring about tranquility, wisdom, and peace.
As the opposition continues to call for a boycott, voter turnout will be a big factor. In a nation of 33 million people, with a median age of 18, there are almost 8.7 million people who are over the age of 18.
A candidate must receive the overwhelming majority of the votes in order to win. If no one succeeds in the first round, a second round will follow.
Fourth term of a contentious controversy
Early next week is when the results will be announced, and experts anticipate Ouattara to surpass the more than 50% required to win the first round.
Since 2011, when the nation has begun reasserting itself as a West African economic powerhouse, the octogenarian has seized control of the world’s top cocoa producer.
Presidents can serve a maximum of two terms, per the constitution. His limit was reset, according to Ouattara, thanks to a significant constitutional change that was implemented in 2016.
His critics have been enraged by the decision. Opposition and civil society organizations also object to the intimidation and repression of Ouattara’s critics.
Around 44, 000 security personnel were stationed throughout the nation to halt protests, particularly in opposition strongholds in the south and west. In the area where Yamoussoukro is known as the political capital, there was a nighttime curfew on Friday and Saturday.
Authorities urged people to stay away from “chaos” and potential repression following the 2020 presidential election. Official figures indicate that 85 people died before that, whereas the opposition reported more than 200.
Ivorians have been enraged by Ouattara’s anticipated fourth term’s opposition parties. An Independent Electoral Commission building was torched on Monday.
The judiciary has sentenced a number of people to three years in prison for disturbing the peace, and the government has responded by banning demonstrations.
Source: Aljazeera
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