Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo’s opposition party announced on Saturday September 30 that it was rejecting the results of local and Senate elections, just weeks after those votes saw the ruling party emerge as the clear winner.
“The PPA-CI [Parti des peuples africains – Côte d’Ivoire] rejects the results of the local and Senate elections, which were essentially obtained through fraudulent maneuvers,” said party spokesman Justin Koné Katinan at a press conference in Abidjan.
“The CIS [Commission électorale indépendante] is the first accomplice, if not the initiator, of the multitude of fraud cases,” Mr. Katinan added. He alleged irregularities, particularly regarding the equipment installed at polling stations.
The PPA-CI also pointed to “partisanship of the police” who “passively witnessed the destruction of election materials” and acted “brutally against opponents” in certain offices. Observers observed some clashes at polling stations.
The PPA-CI also accused the ruling party, President Alassane Ouattara’s Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace Rally (RHDP), of “buying the vote of voters.”
A Senate won almost entirely with a majority
The local and regional elections took place on September 2nd, the Senate elections on September 16th. The ruling party won 123 of 201 municipalities and 25 of 31 regions. The PPA-CI won thanks to an alliance in certain constituencies with the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), gaining ten municipalities and one region. He alone won two more municipalities, the rest went to independent candidates.
In the Senate elections voted for by voters, the PPA-CI did not win any of the 64 seats, while the ruling party won 56. 33 additional parliamentarians are appointed by the head of state. Two other seats are currently vacant because no results were announced in a region where there were incidents.
Laurent Gbagbo was removed from the electoral roll after a conviction in 2018 that resulted in the loss of his civil rights. His party assured that it would make the “registration” of the opponent “its absolute priority.” Mr Gbagbo was unable to vote in the local elections.
“The party has decided to reorganize” to prepare for the 2025 presidential election “now,” Mr. Katinan said.