(4 minutes read)
· Ivory Coast held parliamentary elections on Saturday. Voters cast their votes in a key test of stability. The presidential elections that took place four months before the parliament election was marked by violence
· The independent electoral commission was set to announce the results as they come in
· From political leaders to common man in the street are clamoring for a change in the system. That even led to formation of strange coalitions
· The purpose of these alliances is to prevent Ouattara and his party from consolidating absolute power. Political experts feel that this time around the elections would be free and fair
Ivory Coast held parliamentary elections on Saturday. Voters cast their votes in a key test of stability. The presidential elections that took place four months before the parliament election was marked by violence. The independent electoral commission was set to announce the results as they come in.
President Alassane Ouattara has tried to broker peace with his former rival Laurent Gbagbo, whose party observed a decade-long boycott of elections. The keenly contested Parliament election had 1,500 candidates in the fray. The total number of voters was roughly seven million people and the number of seats in the National assembly is 255.
Ivory Coast, the largest Cocoa grower in Africa, once known for its peace and serenity, has seen a spate of violence let loose in the aftermath of the recent presidential elections. From political leaders to common man in the street are clamoring for a change in the system. That even led to formation of strange coalitions. The purpose of these alliances is to prevent Ouattara and his party from consolidating absolute power. Political experts feel that this time around the elections would be free and fair.
But they feel that the mandate will be fractured and no party would get absolute majority. In that event, the independence would decide, which direction the course of the present election result would sway. This time around Ouattara’ got elected for the third term. If he gets majority in the National Assembly his influence would increase considerably. That is why the opposition parties are coming together to form coalitions to check the concentration of power.
