Cote d’Ivoire - December 2025
Ruling party consolidates majority in parliamentary elections
On 27 December, Côte d’Ivoire held parliamentary elections. The ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (Rassemblement des houphouëtistes pour la démocratie et la paix, RHDP) won 197 out 255 seats (77.3 per cent), consolidating its dominance following President Alassane Ouattara’s re-election to a fourth term in October. The main opposition Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (Parti Démocratique de la Côte d'Ivoire-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain, PDCI-RDA) secured 32 seats (12.5 per cent), down from 66 in the previous legislature, while former President Laurent Gbagbo’s African People’s Party–Côte d’Ivoire (Parti des peuples africains–Côte d'Ivoire, PPA-CI) boycotted the polls, citing the exclusion of key opposition figures from electoral lists and arguing that conditions for a credible and inclusive vote were not in place. Twenty-three independents were elected, many of whom are expected to align with the ruling party. Voter turnout stood at 35.0 per cent, slightly lower than the 37.9 per cent recorded in 2021. Women won 34 seats, representing 13.4 per cent of the National Assembly (compared to 12.9 per cent in 2021). The vote was reported to have taken place largely peacefully under heightened security measures, with authorities noting isolated incidents that did not affect the overall integrity of the electoral process.
Sources: Independent Electoral Commission - Cote d’Ivoire, International IDEA, IPU Parline, International Crisis Group, Radio France Internationale
