Voters in Côte d’Ivoire are heading to the polls to elect members of the new National Assembly, two months after the presidential election held in late October.
Nearly 8.7 million voters are casting their ballots to elect 255 lawmakers, from a pool of 2,740 candidates, including 800 independents.
The ruling party, the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), is contesting all constituencies in a bid to renew its parliamentary dominance.
The vote is taking place amid a boycott by the African Peoples’ Party – Côte d’Ivoire (PPA-CI), led by former president Laurent Gbagbo, who was barred from the previous presidential race.
Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI) is participating with several candidates, despite the earlier exclusion of its leader Tidjane Thiam.
These legislative elections follow the re-election of President Alassane Ouattara, who secured a fourth presidential term with 89.77% of the vote.
