President Ouattara wins fourth presidential term

News Update

Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara has secured a fourth term in after winning this year’s presidential election.

According to provisional results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CIE) on Monday evening, the 83-year-old won a fourth term as head of the west African country with 89.77% or 3.75m votes. Businessman Jeal-Louis Billon came a distant second with only 3.09%.

Voter turnout reached just 50.1%, according to the electoral commission.

Monday’s results are provisional and the final outcome will be announced by the Constitutional Council after it rules on any election petitions.

On Sunday, the opposition group made up of Gbagbo and Thiam’s parties denounced the election as a “civilian coup d’etat,” saying they would not recognise Ouattara as a validly elected leader.

Ouattara first assumed the presidency in 2011, following Gbagbo’s arrest after his refusal to accept defeat in the 2010 election.

Ouattara was originally restricted to serving two terms, but a 2016 constitutional overhaul allowed him to seek re-election in 2020, in a vote that was boycotted by the opposition.