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Ivory Coast has dissolved the body responsible for organising elections following persistent criticism from opposition parties over its management of the country’s electoral process.
The decision was announced on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting, months after President Alassane Ouattara secured a controversial fourth-term victory in the October presidential election, a poll from which several prominent opposition figures were excluded.
Government spokesperson and Communications Minister, Amadou Coulibaly, confirmed that the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) had been dissolved.
“In view of the reservations expressed about this institution, as well as the criticism it has faced, the Council of Ministers has decided to dissolve it,” he stated.
Coulibaly, however, did not disclose what structure would replace the electoral body, noting that discussions on a new mechanism would be handled by the government at a later stage.
“I cannot tell you at this stage what this new mechanism will be, which will certainly be discussed and put in place at the government level,” he added.
According to him, the move is aimed at strengthening public confidence in the electoral process and ensuring the conduct of peaceful elections in the future.
Former Prime Minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan welcomed the development and called for broader consultations involving political parties and civil society groups to rebuild the country’s electoral framework.
In a post on X, he urged authorities to “open a dialogue with political and civil society organisations to rebuild the electoral system, in the name of peace and stability.”
Major opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast led by Tidjane Thiam and the African Peoples’ Party-Ivory Coast headed by former president Laurent Gbagbo, did not immediately react to the announcement.
Both Gbagbo and Thiam were barred from contesting the last presidential election due to legal and nationality-related issues.
Opposition groups in the country have repeatedly accused the electoral commission of lacking independence, alleging bias in the management of elections and oversight of the electoral register.
Ivory Coast dissolves electoral commission after opposition criticism
