2016 Ivorian constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in Ivory Coast on 30 October 2016.[1][2] Voters were asked whether they approve of a proposed new constitution. The new constitution would create a Senate, remove the nationality clause from the presidential requirements and establish the post of Vice-President.[3][4] The constitution was approved by 93.42% of votes with a 42.42% turnout, as announced by the president of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).[5]

Background

The holding of the referendum was approved by the National Assembly on 22 July 2016 by a vote of 233 to 6 with seven abstentions.[6]

New constitution

The new constitution includes several changes to the current constitution, including the removal of a requirement for both parents of presidential candidates to be natural-born Ivorians and not to have had any other citizenship.[6] It would also create the post of Vice-President and a Senate composed of former public servants.[2] The President, Vice-President and two thirds of the Senate is to be elected at the same time as parliamentary elections, with the remaining third appointed by the president-elect.[7]

There is speculation that President Alassane Ouattara may seek a third term in 2020 if the clauses in the current constitution that requires presidential candidates to be younger than 75 is scrapped. However, he has continued to promise that he would retire from politics in 2020 after two five-year terms (2010–2015 and 2015–2020).[4]

Campaign

Campaigning for the referendum was held between 22 and 29 October. The proposed constitution was supported by the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace, an alliance composed of the Rally of the Republicans, the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire, the Union for Democracy and Peace in Côte d'Ivoire, the Movement of the Forces of the Future and the Union for Ivory Coast, and some other parliamentary parties, including the Ivorian Workers' Party. It was opposed by a coalition of 23 parties headed by former president Laurent Gbagbo due to the lack of public consultation during the drafting process.[2][8]

Conduct

On polling day there was violence in pockets of Abidjan, where youth groups mainly from the opposition ransacked schools and several polling stations. The youth groups have been reported as being opposition members, who prevented people from voting in opposition strong holds.[9] The interior minister Hamed Bakayoko declared that there was reported violence at over 100 polling stations in the city.[10]

Results

Choice	Votes	%
For	2,480,287	93.42
Against	174,714	6.58
Invalid/blank votes	23,600	–
Total	2,678,601	100
Registered voters/turnout	6,313,758	42.42
Source: CEI

By region

Region	Turnout (%)	For (%)	Against (%)
Agnéby-Tiassa	44.34	79.88	20.12
Bafing	78.76	99.12	0.88
Bagoué	64.82	99.11	0.89
Bélier	37.51	92.36	7.64
Béré	73.58	99.24	0.76
Bounkani	52.93	96.59	3.41
Cavally	27.65	88.00	12.00
Folon	86.47	99.90	0.10
Gbêkê	35.80	89.03	10.97
Gbôklé	32.39	93.54	6.46
Gôh	21.26	94.12	5.88
Gontougo	51.28	93.37	6.63
Grands-Ponts	17.92	86.19	13.81
Guémon	29.23	93.09	6.91
Hambol	59.83	98.66	1.34
Haut-Sassandra	30.82	94.10	5.90
Iffou	38.66	94.38	5.65
Indénié-Djuablin	31.28	89.89	10.11
Kabadougou	86.51	99.86	0.14
La Mé	60.18	78.95	21.05
Lôh-Djiboua	25.15	93.36	6.64
Marahoué	28.48	92.68	7.32
Moronou	35.89	89.45	10.55
Nawa	33.70	94.93	5.07
N'Zi	27.18	88.70	11.30
Poro	86.58	99.57	0.43
San-Pédro	17.49	89.48	10.52
Sud-Comoé	30.88	91.87	8.13
Tchologo	68.79	99.27	0.73
Tonkpi	33.30	90.54	9.46
Worodougou	88.95	99.72	0.28
Autonomous Districts
Abidjan Autonomous District	46.25	93.89	6.11
Yamoussoukro Autonomous District	23.69	86.23	13.77
Ivorian diaspora
Belgium	10.63	82.40	17.6
Burkina Faso	10.59	82.41	17.59
France	5.18	94.36	5.64
Canada	4.62	77.46	22.54
Gabon	26.68	96.08	3.92
Guinea	54.10	93.17	6.83
Italy	13.11	89.37	10.63
Mali	12.55	85.89	14.11
Morocco	13.39	84.86	15.14
Senegal	8.73	78.64	21.36
South Africa	62.54	96.09	3.91
United Kingdom	7.64	95.27	4.73
United States	26.59	97.47	2.53
Total	42.42	93.42	6.58
Source: CEI

References

1. Côte d'Ivoire: Amadou Gon Coulibaly annonce le référendum constitutionnel pour le 30 octobre Koaci, 19 September 2016
2. Ivory Coast constitutional referendum to be held in October Africa News, 7 August 2016
3. Iob, Emilie. "Constitutional Referendum in Ivory Coast Sparks Controversy". VOA. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
4. Côte d’Ivoire's new constitution analysed CNBC Africa, 6 October 2016
5. "Ivory Coast votes in favor of new constitution: elections commission".
6. Ivory Coast parliament votes to hold referendum on new constitution Reuters, 22 July 2016
7. Ivorians to vote on draft constitution on October 30 AFP, 12 October 2016
8. AfricaNews (2016-10-19). "Ivory Coast referendum to take place on October 30". Africanews. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
9. AfricaNews (2016-10-30). "Violence recorded at Ivorian referendum, voting continues". Africanews. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
10. "Violence and low turnout in Ivory Coast's constitutional referendum". Reuters. 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-31.

External links

• Official website (in French)
• 2016 Turnout map Abidjan.net