Opinion polls have begun in the West African country in a heated election to give the 83-year-old longtime leader a fourth term in office.
Ivorian voters are voting in the presidential election, with incumbent Alassane Ouattara the overwhelming favorite to seek a fourth term.
Nearly nine million Ivorians will vote from 8am to 6pm (8am to 6pm GMT) on Saturday to choose between five candidates.
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However, no leading opposition figure is running for the post. Former President Laurent Gbagbo and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam were banned from standing because the former had been convicted and the latter had acquired French citizenship.
Critics said the exclusion of key candidates gave Ouattara, 83, an unfair advantage and effectively paved the way for him to seek a fourth term.
None of his four rivals represent an established political party, nor is the influence of the ruling Houffetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP).
Jean-Louis Billon, 60, an agricultural businessman and former trade minister, wants to rally supporters of his former party, the Democratic Party, and former first lady Simone Ehibet Gbagbo, 76, is trying to attract votes from her ex-husband’s supporters.
The left-wing vote is balanced between Gbagbo and Ahoa Don Melo, a civil engineer and independent Pan-African with Russian sympathies. One of the first two women to run for president in the 2015 elections, Henriette Lagou Adjua heads the centrist coalition Political Partners Group for Peace.
At Riviera Golf 1 primary school in Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan, where Mr Gbagbo is scheduled to vote, the atmosphere appeared calm as the first voters began lining up early Saturday morning.
“This vote means a lot to us,” Konate Adama told Al Jazeera. “We need candidates who will win these elections, who will lead us to peace, wisdom and tranquility.”
Turnout will be key as opponents continue to call for a boycott. In a country of 33 million people and a median age of 18.3 years, approximately 8.7 million people over the age of 18 have the right to vote.
To win, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes. If no one clears that hurdle, a second round will take place.
Controversial fourth term
Results are expected early next week, with observers expecting Ouattara to win more than the 50 percent needed to secure victory in the first round.
The 80-year-old has held power in the world’s top cocoa producer since 2011, when the country began reasserting itself as West Africa’s economic powerhouse.
Under the constitution, the president can serve up to two terms. Ouattara claims that his limits have been “reset” by major constitutional reforms implemented in 2016.
This decision angered his critics. Opposition parties and civil society groups have also complained about restrictions and a climate of fear towards Ouattara’s critics.
Some 44,000 security forces have been deployed across the country to suppress protests, particularly in rebel strongholds in the south and west. A curfew was imposed on Friday and Saturday in the area where the political center of Yamoussoukro is located.
Officials said they wanted to avoid a repeat of the “chaos” and unrest surrounding the 2020 presidential election. According to official figures, 85 people died at the time, but opposition parties say more than 200 people died.
Opposition parties are encouraging Ivorians to protest Mr Ouattara’s expected fourth term. On Monday, the building of the Independent Electoral Commission was set on fire.
The government responded by banning demonstrations, and judicial authorities sentenced dozens of people to three years in prison for disturbing the peace.
In 2010, after a presidential election between Mr. Gbagbo and Mr. Ouattara, the country descended into conflict that left at least 3,000 people dead.
