Keypoints:
- RHDP wins 197 of 255 seats, cementing legislative dominance
- Opposition weakened as turnout drops to 35 percent
- Ouattara now controls all major state institutions
COTE d’Ivoire’s ruling party has further entrenched its hold on power after securing a sweeping victory in parliamentary elections, reinforcing President Alassane Ouattara’s dominance just weeks after his re-election.
Official results released on Monday by the Independent Electoral Commission show that the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) won 197 of the 255 seats in the National Assembly. The result gives the governing party more than 77 percent of parliamentary seats, an increase of 34 compared with the outgoing legislature.
The outcome consolidates Ouattara’s political authority at a time when opposition influence has visibly waned. The president, who has been in office since 2011, secured a fourth term in October with nearly 90 percent of the vote in an election that excluded the country’s two main opposition figures after they were struck off the electoral register.
With the latest parliamentary results, Ouattara’s party now exercises effective control over all major institutions of the state. The RHDP already enjoys a larger majority in the Senate, governs around 80 percent of the country’s regions, and leads approximately two-thirds of municipalities nationwide.
Low turnout underscores voter fatigue
Saturday’s legislative elections were marked by subdued voter participation. Electoral authorities reported a turnout of 35 percent, two points lower than the previous parliamentary elections held in 2021. Voter engagement has remained persistently weak in recent national polls, with roughly half of eligible voters abstaining during the October presidential election.
Analysts say the low turnout reflects growing voter disengagement, driven in part by the narrowing of political competition and repeated disputes over electoral eligibility.
Regional dominance widens
As expected, the RHDP recorded overwhelming victories in the north of the country, its traditional stronghold dominated by President Ouattara’s Malinke ethnic base. In several northern constituencies, the party reportedly secured near-unanimous results, in some cases approaching 100 percent of the vote.
More significantly, the ruling party also expanded its influence in southern and western regions, areas that have historically favoured opposition parties. These gains point to a broader geographic consolidation of power and further weaken opposition footholds ahead of future local and national contests.
Opposition parties marginalised
The main opposition Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire (PDCI) suffered a sharp reversal, seeing its parliamentary representation cut by more than half from 66 seats to 32. The loss underscores internal fractures and declining electoral reach within one of the country’s oldest political movements.
Meanwhile, the African People’s Party – Cote d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), led by former president Laurent Gbagbo, boycotted the election entirely and did not field candidates. The party cited concerns over the electoral framework and the exclusion of key opposition figures, arguing that conditions were not conducive to a credible vote.
Around 20 lawmakers were elected as independents. Many are former RHDP members or dissidents, and political observers expect several to align with the ruling party in parliamentary votes, potentially reinforcing the government’s dominance over the next five years.
Electoral conduct defended
Despite reports of isolated violence and procedural irregularities, the electoral commission defended the integrity of the process. Commission head Ibrahime Kuibiert Coulibaly said the vote was ‘generally conducted in accordance with the laws and regulations in force’, adding that incidents recorded had no impact on the overall outcome.
The results are likely to intensify debate over political pluralism and democratic participation in Cote d’Ivoire, as President Ouattara begins another term with unrivalled institutional control but declining voter engagement.
