Ivory Coast’s Ouattara in the lead as partial election results announced

If results confirmed, the 83-year-old, who has led the state since 2011, volition beryllium sworn successful for a 4th term.

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara is successful the pb to triumph re-election, according to partial predetermination results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission.

The results from respective departments and polling stations were announced connected nationalist tv connected Sunday.

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If confirmed, Ouattara, an 83-year-old who has led the state since 2011, would unafraid a 4th word successful office.

“The results of 20 departments oregon divisions are being work out,” and 11 departments remain, Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said, reporting from the economical capital, Abidjan, wherever officials work retired the results from Saturday’s election, which included diaspora votes from six countries.

“This is the astir captious signifier of this election, wherever results from assorted polling booths and centres are being collated and announced,” Idris said.

“From the archetypal results, it’s wide the incumbent is starring by a wide borderline successful galore of the areas truthful far.”

Sunday’s announcements volition find whether determination volition beryllium a run-off oregon a first-round triumph for whoever is going to instrumentality this election, our analogous added.

“Ivorians are watching intimately what happens here. And the effect of this predetermination volition find whether oregon not the streets volition stay calm,” helium said.

Nearly 9 cardinal Ivorians were eligible to ballot successful an predetermination marked by a divided absorption further hobbled by the barring of 2 starring candidates.

Ouattara’s starring rivals – erstwhile President Laurent Gbagbo and erstwhile Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam – were barred from standing, Gbagbo for a transgression condemnation and Thiam for acquiring French citizenship.

This led to pre-election protests and calls from immoderate quarters for a boycott of the polls.

While an authoritative elector turnout is not yet known, the president of the predetermination commission, Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, enactment the fig astatine astir 50 percent.

Polling stations successful Abidjan and historically pro-opposition areas successful the southbound and westbound were astir empty, the AFP quality bureau reported. Meanwhile, it said voters turned retired successful ample numbers successful the north, wherever Ouattara had astir of his support.

With cardinal contenders retired of the race, Ouattara was the overwhelming favourite.

Saturday’s ballot was reminiscent of the past predetermination successful 2020, successful which helium obtained 94 percent of the ballots with a turnout somewhat supra 50 percent successful an predetermination past boycotted by the main opposition.

None of the 4 candidates who faced Ouattara represented a large enactment oregon person the scope of the ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace.