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The Independent Electoral Commission on Tuesday afternoon officially announced all the scores for last Saturday’s vote in Côte d’Ivoire. At the national level, the majority goes to the ruling party, the RHDP. The Yopougon municipality, considered the base of former President Laurent Gbagbo’s FPI, was in the hands of the presidential party, but it fell into opposition.
The wait was long Tuesday. All that was missing were the results from the Abidjan municipalities in Marcory, Port-Bouët and Yopougon, and the latter was especially expected with 6 seats. The three municipalities won by the opposition. And according to activists gathered in the Ancien Bel-Air district, it was a long time ago that Yopougon’s opponents had known such a party, reports our Abdijan correspondent, Sidy Yansané.
With PDCI’s victory and EDS, the members of the two allied political formations in this election, benefit from the event. “We won the right way and in the right place!” Welcomes a follower.
But Ivorian voters are accustomed to the political alliances that are formed and broken. They hope this time that their victory will not be erased by yet another disappointment. “If one (elected) leaves the RHDP, he will no longer be (elected) in Yopougon as a deputy!”, Warns another.
►Also read: in Ivory Coast, Yopougon, a major legislative issue
Disappointment in the RHDP camp
A few hundred meters away, the atmosphere in the Wassakara district is much duller, known to be favorable to power. We particularly regret the weak mobilization of voters for this election, where a turnout is limited to less than 38%. “The staff of the political party RHDP has failed. Even at the base, no one went to vote … ”, a man apologizes.
But if sadness dominates, RHDP activists remain reassured, as their party has gained the absolute majority in the assembly. “It is a majority that the President of the Republic needs to get his project through his government program.”
Disappointment qualified by Adama Bictogo
Moreover, the opposition in Yopougon won by only 450 votes in advance, recalls Adama Bictogo, CEO of RHDP, who was reached by phone with Alexandra Brangeon, from the RFI service in Africa. it is still a satisfaction. “We would have liked to have won Yopougon, but the difference of 450 votes clearly shows that Yopougon is no longer the base dedicated to the opposition, as we would think. Today, therefore, the RHDP has taken 50% of Yopougon. It is therefore a satisfaction despite the opposition winning it. We therefore remain a force, and Yopougon has become a bastion of the RHDP ”.
But only 18% of voters voted in Yopougon … “Yes, it should also be noted that finally, when we look at the number of turnout in these elections, the opposition that got there thinks that there was non-representative turnout in the election.” Presidential elections, we realize that in these legislative elections they brought no added value, and that the opposition in fact no longer mobilized ”.
Nothing from the RHDP will be used in Yopougon, Adama Bictogo assures us.“We, the RHDP, trust the Electoral Commission. And I want all the political actors to take part in this dynamic and for all of us to accept the verdict of the Independent Electoral Commission … ”
For supporters of the Presidential Party, the prey to the hands of the opposition shows that democracy works. On the contrary, this victory symbolizes one thing: the impending return to the country of their idol Laurent Gbagbo.
►Also read: In Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara’s RHDP retains its majority in the National Assembly
Election on 6 March 2021 in Côte d’Ivoire, results and analysis: listen to our special edition of this 10 March
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