President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast has been re-elected for a fourth term after securing a landslide victory in the country’s presidential election.
According to provisional results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (CIE) on Monday evening, the 83-year-old leader won with 89.77% of the vote, amounting to about 3.75 million ballots. His closest rival, businessman Jean-Louis Billon, trailed far behind with 3.09%.
Voter turnout was reported at 50.1%, the commission added.
The results, which remain provisional, are subject to confirmation by the Constitutional Council after it reviews any election petitions.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition—comprising parties led by former President Laurent Gbagbo and politician Tidjane Thiam—has rejected the outcome, describing the election as a “civilian coup d’état” and declaring they would not recognize Ouattara’s victory.
Ouattara, who first came to power in 2011 following Gbagbo’s arrest after a disputed election, was initially limited to two terms. However, a 2016 constitutional reform reset term limits, allowing him to run again in 2020, a vote boycotted by the opposition.
His latest re-election extends his rule over the West African nation amid growing concerns about democratic backsliding and political tension.