Ivory Coast: vote counting in the presidential election has begun

Polls have closed and counting has begun in Ivory Coast’s Saturday presidential election, as longtime President Alassane Ouattara seeks a fourth term.

Only a few voters trickled in just before 6 p.m when polls close.

Leticia Bea, a teacher, said she was there for her students. “We simply came to fulfill our civic duty, as teachers. I told myself, it’s a civic duty. For the children that we teach, the example must start with us," she said.

Ouattara’s key contenders were barred from the race this year, and his announcement that he was seeking a fourth term sparked major protests in August. Political marches were banned this month, and protesters clashed with police in Abidjan’s Blockhauss neighborhood, leaving hundreds arrested and several injured.

Other voters also expressed a desire for peace above all else. Leterigue Sekongo, 48, electrical engineer, said peace should be the focus of the election. “There is no point in using violence to spoil the country. It serves no purpose at all,” he said.

Five candidates are jostling for Ivory Coast’s top job, but many see Ouattara, the 83-year-old leader of the world’s biggest producer of cocoa, retaining his seat. If he wins, he will extend his rule to almost two decades. Ouattara’s party, the Rally of Houphouetistes for Democracy and Peace, or RHDP, also holds a majority of seats in parliament.

Ouattara has overseen the country’s economic reconstruction since the civil war, achieving an annual growth rate of 6% backed by a boom in cocoa. However, 37.5% of the country’s 30 million people still live in poverty, and jobs are scarce for young people. The country’s last two elections saw a voter turnout of slightly above 50%.

Analysts say this election is expected to have low voter turnout, as many voters are disenchanted with the electoral process that has often brought violence to the country. Results are expected Sunday.