ABIDJAN — Côte d’Ivoire’s ruling party, the Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RHDP), has secured an overwhelming majority in the December 27 legislative elections, winning nearly 80 percent of the seats in the National Assembly. The outcome consolidates President Alassane Ouattara’s political dominance just two months after his re-election.
The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) announced provisional results late Monday, December 29, confirming the RHDP’s sweeping victory. CEI President Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert declared that the party captured 197 of 255 seats, securing control of 155 constituencies nationwide.
The main opposition party, the Parti Démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI-RDA), won 32 seats, while independent candidates claimed 23 seats, forming the third-largest bloc. Smaller parties, including the Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI) and the Union Nationale pour la Paix et le Renouveau (UNPR), managed just one seat each.
Low Turnout Raises Concerns
Despite the decisive outcome, voter participation was markedly low. The CEI reported a national turnout of 35.04 percent, significantly below the October presidential election.
Political analysts attribute the decline to voter fatigue and a partial boycott by opposition factions, notably the Parti des Peuples Africains – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), led by former president Laurent Gbagbo, who remained excluded from the process. The limited engagement has raised questions about the depth of public support for the ruling party’s mandate.
Isolated Incident in Marcory
While the CEI described the vote as “globally peaceful,” it acknowledged disturbances in Marcory (Constituency No. 043), where unidentified individuals destroyed ballot boxes at five polling stations shortly before closing.
The Commission ruled that the incident did not affect the overall outcome, noting that the margin between the leading lists—3,863 votes—far exceeded the 2,051 ballots potentially compromised. “The non-inclusion of these votes is not of a nature to call into question the overall result of the constituency,” the CEI stated.
Consolidated Mandate
The RHDP’s commanding majority grants President Ouattara a strengthened legislative base to advance his agenda, reinforcing the continuity of his administration. However, the combination of low turnout and fragmented opposition participation underscores lingering challenges for Côte d’Ivoire’s democratic landscape, where questions of inclusivity and political legitimacy remain at the forefront.
