Politics of Ivory Coast
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The politics of
The capital since 1983 is Yamoussoukro; however, Abidjan remains the commercial center. Most countries maintain their embassies in Abidjan. A civil war was fought in Ivory Coast between 2002–2004 and a second civil war broke out in March 2011 following contested elections that saw president-elect Alassane Ouattara come into power in 2011 and reelected in 2015. It is located in Africa.
Civil war
Troops, mostly hailing from the north of the country, mutinied in the early hours of 19 September 2002. They soon after launched attacks in many cities, including Abidjan. By lunchtime, they had control of the north of the country. Their principal claim relates to the definition of who is a citizen of Ivory Coast (and so who can stand for election as president), voting rights and their representation in government in Abidjan. The events in Abidjan shows that it is not a tribal issue, but a crisis of transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, with the clashes inherent in the definition of citizenship. Forces involved in the conflict include:
- Government forces, the National Army (FANCI), also called loyalists, formed and equipped essentially since 2003
- The Young Patriots: nationalist groups aligned with President Laurent Gbagbo
- Mercenariesrecruited by President Gbagbo:
- allegedly, Belarusians
- some former combatants of Liberia, including under-17 youths, forming the so-called "Lima militia" [1]
- New Forces (Forces Nouvelles, FN), ex-northern rebels, who hold 60% of the country; their political expression is the Mouvement patriotique de Côte d'Ivoire, or MPCI
- French forces: troops sent within the framework of Opération Licorne and under UN mandate (United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire), 3000 men in February 2003 and 4600 in November 2004;
- Soldiers of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), White helmets, also under the UN.
Executive branch
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
President
|
Alassane Ouattara | Rally of the Republicans | 4 December 2011 |
Vice-President
|
Tiémoko Meyliet Koné | Independent | 19 April 2022 |
Prime Minister | position vacant |
Laurent Gbagbo took power following a popular overthrow of the interim leader Gen.
After a new
In November 2020, Alassane Ouattara won third term in office in elections boycotted by the opposition. His opponents argued it was illegal for president Ouattara to run for a third term. [1]
Legislative branch
Judicial branch
The judicial system culminates in the Supreme Court of Ivory Coast. The High Court of Justice is competent to try government officials for major offenses. The Supreme Court or Court Supreme consists of four chambers: Judicial Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for financial cases, Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases, and Administrative Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit to the number of members.
Political parties and elections
Presidential elections
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alassane Ouattara | Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace | 3,031,483 | 95.31 | |
Kouadio Konan Bertin | Independent | 64,011 | 2.01 | |
Henri Konan Bédié | Democratic Party of Ivory Coast | 53,330 | 1.68 | |
Pascal Affi N'Guessan | Ivorian Popular Front | 31,986 | 1.01 | |
Total | 3,180,810 | 100.00 | ||
Valid votes | 3,180,810 | 97.28 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 89,003 | 2.72 | ||
Total votes | 3,269,813 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 6,066,441 | 53.90 | ||
Source: Independent Electoral Commission |
Parliamentary elections
Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) won 137 of 254 contested seats in the election, according to official results. Union for Democracy and Peace in Ivory Coast (UDPCI) claimed fraud and the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) appealed for calm. One seat remained open on March 10 because a candidate died during the campaign.[2] The elections were peaceful and turnout was 37.88%, with 2,788,022 voters participating out of 7,359,399 registered. There were 82,184 null ballots and 34,083 blank ballots.
Patrick Achi was named interim Prime Minister on March 8, during the illness of Hamed Bakayoko.[3] Bakayoko died of cancer on March 10.[4]
The largest opposition grouping will mostly likely be a coalition formed by
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace | 1,313,886 | 49.18 | 137 | –30 | |
PDCI-RDA–EDS | 441,602 | 16.53 | 50 | – | |
Democratic Party of Ivory Coast | 160,599 | 6.01 | 23 | – | |
Together for Democracy and Sovereignty | 118,570 | 4.44 | 8 | New | |
Together to Build (UDPCI, FPI and allies) | 53,826 | 2.01 | 8 | +2 | |
Ivorian Popular Front | 52,451 | 1.96 | 2 | –1 | |
For the Republic and Democracy | 2,417 | 0.09 | 0 | New | |
Republican Union for Democracy | 2,053 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | |
Rally of Democrats of Ivory Coast | 1,810 | 0.07 | 0 | New | |
Rally for Peace and Agreement | 1,694 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | |
1,000 Volunteers | 1,600 | 0.06 | 0 | New | |
Union of Democrats for Progress | 1,146 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | |
Party for African Integration | 1,016 | 0.04 | 0 | New | |
RPC-PAIX–GP-PAIX | 911 | 0.03 | 0 | – | |
Ecological Party of Ivory Coast | 822 | 0.03 | 0 | New | |
Strength to the Peoples | 681 | 0.03 | 0 | New | |
Alliance for Democracy Movement | 589 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |
Serving Ivory Coast | 587 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |
Democratic and Civic Union | 535 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
National Civic Movement | 533 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
New Union for Ivory Coast | 464 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |
People's Party of Social Democrats | 405 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
Party for Progress and Socialism | 392 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
Ivorian Ecological Party | 300 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
National, Democratic and Reformist Front | 263 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Congress for an Ivorian and Pan-African Renaissance | 248 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Pan-African Congress for Renewal | 244 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
People's Socialist Union | 237 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Union for Total Democracy in Ivory Coast | 233 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Union for National Progress | 228 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Group of Political Partners for Peace | 194 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
Liberal Democratic Party of Ivory Coast | 192 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
Ivorian Democratic Front | 181 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
Pan-African Democratic Rally | 175 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
Reform is Possible | 246 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
Ivorian Centrist Alliance | 143 | 0.01 | 0 | New | |
Business and Farmers Party of Ivory Coast | 118 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
UNITE-AMOUR-PAIX | 88 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
National Integrity and Conscience | 82 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Democratic and Social Movement | 79 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
Social Democrat Party | 66 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Ivorian Party of Challenges to Overcome | 64 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
National Congress for the Development of Ivory Coast | 57 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Collective of Democratic Ivorians | 55 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
National Reforming Party | 53 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Party of Democratic Rebirth and Development | 46 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Party of Republican Democrats | 43 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
National Movement of Young Centrists | 18 | 0.00 | 0 | New | |
Independents | 509,513 | 19.07 | 26 | –50 | |
Vacant | 1 | – | |||
Total | 2,671,755 | 100.00 | 255 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 2,671,755 | 95.83 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 116,267 | 4.17 | |||
Total votes | 2,788,022 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 7,359,399 | 37.88 | |||
Source: CEI |
Administrative divisions
For administrative purposes, Ivory Coast is divided into 58
The 58 departments (départements, singular - département) are listed in the article Departments of Ivory Coast.
International organization participation
References
- ^ "Ivory Coast election: Alassane Ouattara wins amid boycott". BBC News. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Ivory Coast: Ouattara's party wins majority in parliament vote". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera English. 9 March 2021. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ Aboa, Ange (8 March 2021). "Ivory Coast President Ouattara names Patrick Achi as interim prime minister". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ "Ivory Coast Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko dies at 56". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera English. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
External links and references
- CIA World Factbook2003
- [2]