Ivory Coast Election: Opposition boycotts polls, seeks civil transition

Opposition leaders in Ivory Coast on Sunday called for a “civil transition” from President Alassane Ouattara’s government.

Mr Ouattara’s opponents had a day earlier called for a boycott of the vote to protest against his controversial bid for a third term.

Local media reported that the buildup to this was a violence-marred election that killed more than 30 people.

The violence brought back memories of the 2010 election mayhem that gripped the West African country.

Amidst the violence that killed over 3,000 people in 2010, then President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Mr Ouattara. The current president had adjusted a clause in the country’s constitution to allow him to run for a third term.

Saturday’s election recorded scattered unrest, vandalisation of voting materials and closure of some polling stations in opposition strongholds, AFP reports.

Though Mr Ouattara sued for calm and his party is expected to win, his opponents worry the situation might escalate.

“Opposition parties and political groups call for the start of a civil transition,” opposition leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan said on Sunday.

He said they considered Mr Ouattara’s mandate over after Saturday’s ballot.

Mr N’Guessan urged Ivorians to mobilise against Mr Ouattara’s “outgoing” government.

Meanwhile, official results on Sunday showed the Ivorian president in an early lead in the race, Al Jazeera reports.

According to Al Jazeera, Mr Ouattara won all 20 of the districts that were announced from Saturday’s vote by the electoral commission with results from the other 88 districts being expected to be announced later on Sunday or early Monday.