Politics of Ivory Coast

The Politics of Ivory Coast takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Ivory Coast is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the President and the Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.

The capital since 1983 is Yamoussoukro; however, Abidjan remains the commercial center. Most countries maintain their embassies in Abidjan. A civil war was fought in Ivory Coast between 2002–2004 and a second civil war broke out in March 2011 following contested elections that saw president-elect Alassane Ouattara come into power in 2011 and reelected in 2015.

Civil war

Troops, mostly hailing from the north of the country, mutinied in the early hours of 19 September 2002. They soon after launched attacks in many cities, including Abidjan. By lunchtime, they had control of the north of the country. Their principal claim relates to the definition of who is a citizen of Ivory Coast (and so who can stand for election as president), voting rights and their representation in government in Abidjan. The events in Abidjan shows that it is not a tribal issue, but a crisis of transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, with the clashes inherent in the definition of citizenship. Forces involved in the conflict include:

• Government forces, the National Army (FANCI), also called loyalists, formed and equipped essentially since 2003
• The Young Patriots: nationalist groups aligned with President Laurent Gbagbo
• Mercenaries recruited by President Gbagbo:
  • allegedly, Belarusians
  • some former combatants of Liberia, including under-17 youths, forming the so-called "Lima militia"
• New Forces (Forces Nouvelles, FN), ex-northern rebels, who hold 60% of the country; their political expression is the Mouvement patriotique de Côte d'Ivoire, or MPCI
• French forces: troops sent within the framework of Operation Unicorn and under UN mandate (United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire), 3000 men in February 2003 and 4600 in November 2004;
• Soldiers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), White helmets, also under the UN.

Executive branch

Main office holders

Office	Name	Party	Since
President	Alassane Ouattara	Rally of the Republicans	4 December 2011
Vice-President	Daniel Kablan Duncan	Democratic Party	10 January 2017
Prime Minister	Vacant		8 July 2020

Ivory Coast's 1959 constitution provides for strong presidency within the framework of a separation of powers. The executive is personified in the president, elected for a five-year term. The president is commander in chief of the armed forces, may negotiate and ratify certain treaties, and may submit a bill to a national referendum or to the National Assembly. According to the constitution, the President of the National Assembly assumes the presidency in the event of a vacancy, and he completes the remainder of the deceased president's term. The cabinet is selected by and is responsible to the president. Changes are being proposed to some of these provisions, to extend term of office to 7 years, establish a senate, and make president of the senate interim successor to the president.

Laurent Gbagbo took power following a popular overthrow of the interim leader Gen. Robert Guéï who had claimed a dubious victory in presidential elections; Gen. Guéï himself had assumed power on 25 December 1999, following a military coup against the government of former President Henri Konan Bédié. Gbagbo was elected president in 2000 in an election boycotted by many oppositional forces. The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The prime minister is appointed by the president.Alassane Ouattara is currently the president of Ivory Coast. He was reelected in the 2015 Ivorian presidential election.

After a new constitution was approved by referendum, it is expected President Alassane Ouattara would appoint a Vice-President before 2020. The President and Vice-President will run on a joint ticket from 2020. They will be both elected for a five-year term, with only one possible reelection. The Vice-President will replace the President in case of death, resignation and any other vacancy, .

Legislative branch

National Assembly of Ivory Coast.

Parliament of Ivory Coast is a bicameral body composed by the National Assembly and the Senate of Ivory Coast. Prior to November 2016 and the future creation of the Senate, the Parliament of Ivory Coast was only composed of the National Assembly. The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 255 members, elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. It passes on legislation typically introduced by the president although it also can introduce legislation. The Senate of Ivory Coast (Sénat) will have two-thirds of the senators indirectly elected and one-third appointed by the president-elect, elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. Ivory Coast is a one party dominant state with the Rally of the Republicans in power.

Judicial branch

The judicial system culminates in the Supreme Court of Ivory Coast. The High Court of Justice is competent to try government officials for major offenses. The Supreme Court or Court Supreme consists of four chambers: Judicial Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for financial cases, Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases, and Administrative Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit to the number of members.

Political parties and elections

Presidential elections

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Alassane Ouattara	Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace	2,618,229	83.66
	Pascal Affi N'Guessan	Alliance of Democratic Forces	290,780	9.29
	Konan Bertin Kouadio	Independent	121,386	3.88
	Henriette Lagou Adjoua	Renewal for Peace and Concord	27,759	0.89
	Siméon Konan Kouadio	Independent	22,117	0.71
	Kacou Gnangbo	Independent	18,650	0.60
	Jacqueline-Claire Kouangoua	Independent	12,398	0.40
	Charles Konan Banny	Independent	8,667	0.28
	Amara Essy	Independent	6,413	0.20
	Mamadou Koulibaly	Liberty and Democracy for the Republic	3,343	0.11
Total			3,129,742	100.00
Valid votes			3,129,742	93.96
Invalid/blank votes			201,186	6.04
Total votes			3,330,928	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			6,301,189	52.86
Source: CEI

Parliamentary elections

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace	1,019,057	50.26	167	–44
	Ivorian Popular Front	118,130	5.83	3	New
	Union for Democracy and Peace in Ivory Coast	60,566	2.99	6	–1
	Union for Ivory Coast	20,806	1.03	3	+2
	Liberty and Democracy for the Republic	3,050	0.15	0	0
	Rally for Peace, Progress and Sharing	2,628	0.13	0	New
	United Cape for Democracy and Development	2,513	0.12	0	0
	Alliance of Democratic Forces	2,308	0.11	0	New
	Union of Democrats for Progress	2,235	0.11	0	New
	Democratic and Civic Union	2,207	0.11	0	0
	Democratic and Social Movement	1,576	0.08	0	0
	Renewal for Peace and Agreement	1,303	0.06	0	New
	Collective of Democratic Ivorians	1,136	0.06	0	New
	Congress for Ivorian Renewal	1,101	0.05	0	New
	Union for Total Democracy in Ivory Coast	984	0.05	0	0
	People's Party of Social Democrats	861	0.04	0	New
	Republican Union for Democracy	848	0.04	0	New
	Union for Progress	648	0.03	0	New
	Pan-African Democratic Rally	644	0.03	0	0
	National Democratic and Reformist Front	596	0.03	0	New
	Ivorian Party of Greens	466	0.02	0	New
	National Civic Movement	444	0.02	0	0
	Congress of People for Development and Freedom	440	0.02	0	New
	Union for National Progress	319	0.02	0	0
	People's Socialist Union	306	0.02	0	0
	Democracy for Freedom and Cohesion	233	0.01	0	New
	Ivorian Party of Rising to Challenges	201	0.01	0	0
	Party of Unity and Progress of Ivory Coast	184	0.01	0	New
	Revolutionary Communist Party of Ivory Coast	178	0.01	0	0
	Congress for Ivorian Renewal–Panafrican	177	0.01	0	New
	Ivorian Ecological Movement	163	0.01	0	0
	Union of Popular Masses	134	0.01	0	New
	Republican Party of Ivory Coast	106	0.01	0	0
	Union for Development and Freedoms	101	0.00	0	New
	National Alliance of Ivory Coast	93	0.00	0	New
	Ivorian Party of Farmers	40	0.00	0	0
	Progressive Movement of Ivory Coast	30	0.00	0	New
	La Renaissance	20	0.00	0	0
	Independents	780,629	38.50	76	+41
Total		2,027,461	100.00	255	0
Valid votes		2,027,461	94.83
Invalid/blank votes		110,575	5.17
Total votes		2,138,036	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		6,268,113	34.11
Source: CEI

Administrative divisions

For administrative purposes, Ivory Coast is divided into 58 departments, each headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. There are 196 communes, each headed by an elected mayor, plus the city of Abidjan with ten mayors.

The 58 departments (départements, singular - département) are listed in the article Departments of Ivory Coast.

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

References

External links and references

• CIA World Factbook 2003