ABIDJAN, Dec. 27– Polling stations opened on Saturday morning across Cote d’Ivoire for legislative elections to renew the 255 seats of the National Assembly, Xinhua reporters observed on site in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital.
Voting is scheduled to run until 6:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) in the country’s 205 electoral constituencies, where polls were set to open at 8:00 a.m. In Abidjan’s populous commune of Yopougon, most polling stations opened late due to delays in setting up electoral materials and deploying staff.
Persistent rain dampened early turnout, with security provided by defense and security forces. Approximately 8.7 million voters are expected to cast ballots for members of parliament for the 2026-2030 legislature.
The eight-day campaign, which began on Dec. 19, featured 2,740 candidates, including 1,370 principal candidates and 1,370 substitutes, vying for seats in the National Assembly.
On the eve of the vote, Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) President Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert praised the “tolerance and mutual respect” that prevailed during the campaign, noting only isolated incidents and commending candidates’ discipline following CEI interventions.
According to Coulibaly-Kuibiert, this election is “an essential milestone for the consolidation of peace and institutional stability in Cote d’Ivoire, a major new stage in the country’s democratic life” following the Oct. 27 presidential election, won by incumbent Alassane Ouattara.
The ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace is contesting all electoral constituencies. The main opposition, the Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire, is fielding 163 principal candidates and has formed alliances in certain constituencies such as Yopougon and Abobo, with the Ivorian Popular Front.
The African People’s Party-Cote d’Ivoire is boycotting the election in solidarity with what it calls “political prisoners.” The political movement “Today and Tomorrow, Cote d’Ivoire” positions itself as a third opposition force with nearly 40 candidates.
The elections have also seen a surge in independent candidates, with nearly 800 candidates running without party affiliation. According to the CEI, the election results are expected to be announced by Tuesday at the latest. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
