ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term with 89.77% of the vote, according to provisional results announced Monday, following an election marked by historically low turnout and the exclusion of his main political rivals.
The 83-year-old incumbent won a commanding 89.7% of the vote.
His closest rivals, former Commerce Minister Jean-Louis Billon and former First Lady Simone Gbagbo, conceded defeat after capturing just 3% and 2.4% of the vote, respectively.
Billon congratulated Ouattara on Sunday, and Gbagbo followed suit on Monday, ensuring a peaceful outcome unlike the violent 2010 post-election crisis.
The election was characterized by a sidelined opposition.
Key figures Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam were disqualified, leaving the remaining candidates without major party support.
This contributed to a voter turnout of only 50%, reflecting widespread apathy.
"There was no reason to vote. Everything was arranged for Ouattara to win," commented one disillusioned voter in Abidjan.
Analysts view the win as reinforcing a trend of "constitutional engineering" and democratic backsliding in West Africa.
While Ouattara has overseen economic growth, his new term raises urgent questions about succession in a nation with a history of violent power struggles.
He has pledged to foster a new generation of leaders, but with the ruling party divided and no clear heir, the country faces uncertainty.
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