Vote counting underway in Ivory Coast legislative elections amid political divisions

Vote counting is underway in Ivory Coast following legislative elections to choose the country’s 255 members of the National Assembly, a vote shaped by deep political divisions and lingering tensions from the recent presidential poll.

The parliamentary elections come just two months after President Alassane Ouattara secured a second term with more than 90 percent of the vote. That landslide victory was strongly contested by the opposition, which criticised the exclusion of several major opposition figures from the presidential race following court rulings.

Those divisions have carried over into the legislative contest. The African Peoples’ Party (PPA-CI), linked to former president Laurent Gbagbo, boycotted the vote, arguing that conditions were not in place for a credible and inclusive election.

More than 2,700 candidates competed in Saturday’s polls, including nearly 800 independents. President Ouattara’s Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) appears well positioned to secure a comfortable majority. The ruling party already dominates the outgoing National Assembly and was the only political group to field candidates in all constituencies nationwide.

Civil society groups say the outcome will be a key indicator of the country’s political balance. Koné Mamadou, chairman of the NGO Action Justice, described the vote as a test of the real national support enjoyed by both the ruling party and the opposition.

However, attention is also focused on the emergence of a potential third political force. Founded in June 2024, ADCI is seeking to position itself as an alternative bloc. The party fielded 45 candidates, many of them young, and is hoping to win enough seats to form a parliamentary group and influence debates in the next assembly.

Final results are expected to be announced between 28 December and 30 December 2025.