Ivory Coast Election: 83-year-old Ouattara set for 4th term as Billon concedes defeat

83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara appears set for a fourth term in office after former commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon conceded defeat in Ivory Coast’s presidential election, with early results showing the incumbent in a commanding lead nationwide.

“The initial results place the incumbent President, Mr Alassane Ouattara, in the lead, designating him the winner of this presidential election,” Billon said in a statement on Sunday, congratulating the 83-year-old leader.

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Billon was one of four opposition candidates and failed to gain the backing of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) led by Tidjane Thiam, the former Credit Suisse chief who was disqualified from contesting the race.

According to Al Jazeera, the Independent Electoral Commission began releasing partial results from Saturday’s vote on national television. “The results of 20 departments or divisions are being read out, and 10 or 11 departments remain,” Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reported from Abidjan, the country’s economic capital. He added that votes from Ivorian communities abroad were also being included.

“This is the most critical stage of this election, where results from various polling booths and centres are being collated and announced,” Idris said. “From the initial results, it’s clear the incumbent is leading by a wide margin in many of the areas so far.”

About 8.7 million registered voters were eligible to take part in the election, which was marked by a divided opposition and the exclusion of two major candidates. Ouattara’s main challengers, former President Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, were both barred from standing. Gbagbo was excluded due to a criminal conviction, while Thiam’s disqualification was tied to his French citizenship.

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The disqualifications triggered protests and calls for a boycott before the polls. The president of the electoral commission, Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, estimated voter turnout at around 50%.

AFP reported that polling stations in Abidjan and opposition strongholds in the south and west were largely empty, while turnout was high in the north, where Ouattara enjoys significant support.

With the opposition fractured and early results showing him ahead, Ouattara is widely expected to extend his long rule as Ivory Coast’s president.