"No serious irregularities," said Mamadou Koné.

The president of the Constitutional Council of Côte d'Ivoire confirmed Monday, November 9 the re-election of outgoing president Alassane Ouattara to a controversial third term, during a statement at the headquarters of the institution in Abidjan.

Some 53.90% of voters went to the polls after the call to boycott the opposition.

"Mr. Alassane Ouattara is proclaimed elected in the 1st round" with 94.27% of the votes, declared the president of the Constitutional Council, who indicated to have noted "no serious irregularity" on the offices which were taken into account.

The opposition boycotted the October 31 poll and prevented the vote from being held in nearly 5,000 polls.

These were not included in the electorate.

Mamadou Koné also stressed that "no complaint" had been filed.

Unsurprisingly, the Constitutional Council has not changed any of the results announced on November 3 by the Electoral Commission.

An election marked by violence and looting of offices

The participation rate was 53.90%.

Outgoing President Alassane Ouattara garnered 3,031,483 votes out of a total of 3,215,909 votes cast in the election marked by violence.

The Constitutional Council added that 17,601 offices out of some 22,381 offices were able to open;

the number of registered voters thus increased from 7,495,082 to 6,066,441 registered.

Opposition activists ransacked or prevented the opening of offices.

According to the scores validated by the Constitutional Council, the independent candidate Kouadio Konan Bertin comes in second position, with 1.99% of the vote (64,011 votes).

The other two candidates had called for a boycott but still received votes.

Former President Henri Konan Bédié finished third with 1.66% (53,330 votes) and former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N'Guessan, fourth with 0.99% (31,986 votes). 

Opposition "National Transitional Council"

The opposition announced the creation of a "National Transitional Council" (CNT) after the election, the results of which it did not recognize.

But several opposition leaders, including his spokesperson Affi N'Guessan, were arrested while others like Henri Konan Bédié were blocked at their homes by the police.

Elected in 2010, re-elected in 2015, Alassane Ouattara announced in March that he was giving up a new candidacy, before changing his mind in August, following the death of his designated runner-up, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly.

The Ivorian fundamental law provides for a maximum of two terms, but the Constitutional Council estimated that with the new Constitution adopted in 2016, the presidential term counter has been reset - which the opposition contests.

At least 14 people died during violence during the election or in its wake.

Before the election, around 30 people had died in inter-communal unrest and violence since August and the announcement of Alassane Ouattara's candidacy.

The fear of an escalation of violence is strong in this West African country, ten years after the post-electoral crisis of 2010-2011 which left 3,000 dead.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR