Preliminary results showed a landslide victory. The two main candidates who wanted to challenge Ouattara were banned from running in the presidential election.
Official election results on Sunday showed that voter turnout was close to 100 percent in the northern parts of the country where support for Ouattara is strong, but in areas where the opposition has strong strongholds – such as in the economically important central city of Abidjan – empty polling stations were reported.
We see a clear division between north and south. The legitimacy of the election can therefore be questioned, said opposition leader Simon Doho.
Ouattara has led the country, whose major industry is cocoa farming, since 2011. Then, Côte d'Ivoire had been severely damaged by two civil wars in 2002-2007 and 2010-2011.
