Ivory Coast: preliminary election results point to another term for Ouattara

While the country awaits definitive results for the presidential elections, the electoral commission has announced first results that point to an overwhelming victory of current president Alassane Ouattara, who would thus start a fourth mandate aged 83.

Around 9 million voters cast their ballots on Sunday in Ivory Coast to select their next president.

Without much surprise for analysts of the political situation, the next president might not differ much from the current one - or rather, not at all.

According to preliminary election results released by the independent electoral commission (IEC), current president Alassane Ouattara is leading the race with a major difference to the other four candidates.

In his most supportive constituencies, Ouattara received over 90% of the votes.

The IEC is still counting ballots in various voting districts. If the preliminary results are confirmed, Ouattara will embark on his fourth mandate as president at the age of 83.

The politician is controversial, as protest against his long-term reign and increasingly authoritarian regime has been severely repressed in recent months.

Ouattara has also been criticised for barring the two leading opposition candidates from the presidential elections.

Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo, were prevented from participating in the race over grounds of nationality and criminal record, respectively. Although four other opposition candidates, among them Gbagbo's wife Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, ran for president, none of them had sufficient funds nor notoriety to pose a serious threat to Ouattara.

The definitive results of the election are set to be released by the IEC on Monday.