The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) of Côte d’Ivoire has validated 1,141 candidacies for the upcoming legislative elections on 27 December, following the withdrawal of 272 applications due to non-compliance or voluntary withdrawal.
The elections come after President Alassane Ouattara’s decisive re-election with over 89% of the vote. The ruling RHDP party is fielding over 200 candidates nationwide, including senior officials such as Vice-President Tiémoko Meylet Koné in Tafiré, Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé in Songon, and Defence Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara in Abobo.
The main opposition, PDCI-RDA, has nominated more than a hundred candidates, focusing on strongholds such as Cocody, while facing a boycott from the PPA-CI in areas like Yopougon.
Independent candidates remain a significant presence, comprising nearly 60% of all validated applications. Notably, some PPA-CI members have defied the boycott to run as independents, including party executive Stéphane Kipré in Gboguhé, while others, such as Blaise Lasm, have stood under allied party banners like the PDCI-RDA in constituencies such as Dabou.