One step forward, two steps back? Côte d’ivoire’s 2015 presidential polls

© 2016. GIGA German Institute for Global and Area Studies. All Rights Reserved.The 2015 presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire was seen as an important test for the country given the 2010 post-election crisis. Although the 2015 polls were peaceful, they were affected by problems not new to Côte d’Ivoire: lack of competition due to non-participation of major political actors, low voter turnout, mistrust in electoral institutions. The unpreparedness of the Commission Electorale Indépendante (CEI) was also problematic, especially with respect to the revision of the voter list. Due to the boycott of partisans of former president Laurent Gbagbo and because of the support of the Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RHDP), President Alassane Ouattara’s reelection was essentially a given from the start. With the ruling coalition firmly in control, Côte d’Ivoire appears stable. However, the country’s democratic deficit might lead to renewed violence once the RHDP has to pick Ouattara’s successor.