Waging Peace:  Côte d'Ivoire

Monitoring Elections

2011 Elections
The Center returned to Côte d'Ivoire to observe December 2011 legislative elections, which took place in a fragile political and social context after 2010-2011 post-electoral violence. These elections represented an essential step in re-establishing constitutional order and solidifying peace.

The Carter Center deployed 18 medium-term observers to monitor electoral preparations. A group of short-term observers were deployed shortly before election day. The mission monitored the election administration and preparations, the campaign period, voting and counting operations, tabulation of results, and the postelection period.

The Carter Center noted a generally peaceful voting environment, encouraged the government to pursue dialogue in a spirit of national reconciliation, and noted that important electoral reforms should be considered before a new electoral cycle begins. Read the full report >

The Center has been present in Côte d'Ivoire since 2008, also monitoring voter registration, verification of the provisional voter list, and 2010 presidential elections.

2010 Elections
Côte d'Ivoire's long-delayed elections were a key element in resolving the political crisis that had kept the country divided since 2002.  Free, open, transparent, and democratic elections are a central component of the 2007 Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA), established between the government of Côte d'Ivoire and rebels known as the Forces Nouvelles, which controlled the country's north.  After many delays, the first round of elections finally took place on Oct. 31, 2010, followed by a second round that took place on Nov. 28, 2010.

The Carter Center was invited by Prime Minister Guillaume Soro to observe the electoral process in Côte d'Ivoire and, in November 2008, deployed three teams of observers to formally launch its international election observation mission. Observers focused on voter registration and assessing overall preparations for the presidential elections. (View report here.)

The Center maintained a field presence throughout 2009 to continue monitoring political developments and in mid-February 2009 mobilized a second group of observers to assess the final phase of the identification and registration process. Their efforts were extended into rural areas and additional parts of the former conflict zone.

In May 2009, a Carter Center senior staff delegation visited Abidjan for meetings with Prime Minister Soro, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), political party leaders, civil society representatives, and members of the international community.   Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter also sent letters to OPA facilitator President Compoaré of Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Koudou Gbagbo, and Prime Minister Soro to communicate his support for a continued peaceful transition and scheduling of elections in 2009.

In November 2009, The Carter Center, in cooperation with the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa, deployed a team of 10 observers to monitor the voter list verification and challenge process and to assess the pre-election environment and election preparations. The voter verification and challenge period was extended several times to allow for administrative delays and further citizen access to the process.  In February 2010, this was interrupted by the president's dissolution of Parliament and IEC for reasons associated with allegations of fraud among IEC leadership.  With the assistance of the facilitator of the Ouagadougou Political Accord, Ivorian political parties agreed to form a new government and a new IEC.

Throughout April and May 2010, the Carter Center's field office in Abidjan monitored the political negotiations and deliberations among Ivoirian stakeholders in advance of a renewed electoral process and the reopening of the challenge and appeals period.  Based on the findings from the observation of the first phase of the challenge and appeals process on the provisional list, The Carter Center published a detailed technical report in French (PDF), including recommendations for the next steps of the electoral process.

By the end of May 2010, the electoral process remained in a stalemate, pending an agreement on the resumption of the challenge and appeals process and an ad hoc administrative verification of the provisional list newly requested by the presidential camp.

In June 2010, the main stakeholders reached consensus on the methodology for administrative verification of the provisional voter list and the resumption of the challenge and appeals process.  Early August saw two important announcements made regarding the electoral calendar. First, the IEC stated that the election could be held in October 2010, assuming that work on the voter list proceeded as planned and that funds were made available. Second, on Aug. 5, Prime Minister Soro announced that the election would take place on Oct. 31.

The October 2010 election was characterized by high voter turnout and a calm political environment. This was the country's first truly open contest and a critical step in the peace process. Polls opened on election day without any major delays or irregularities. The Carter Center deployed 50 election observers from 23 countries to observe voting and counting. (View PDF report here.)

Because no candidate garnered more than 50 percent of the vote, a constitutionally mandated runoff election between former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara and incumbent President Gbagbo took place on Nov. 28, 2010. This election was characterized by increased political tensions among the ethnic groups of Côte d'Ivoire and minor instances of irregularities; however, The Carter Center saw no major irregularities that would jeopardize the integrity of the election results. (View PDF report here.)

Following the tally of the second round votes, the IEC announced that Alassane Ouattara had been elected as president of Côte d'Ivoire. This was certified by the special representative of the secretary general of the United Nations. Carter Center observers assessed that these results were valid and that the elections were held in accordance to international standards.

However, the Constitutional Council reviewed a complaint from President Gbagbo and ruled a sufficient number of votes invalid to reverse the order of the two candidates, declaring Gbagbo the victor.  The ensuing political crisis fueled violence with hundreds of thousands of Ivoirians displaced and several months of conflict.  On April 11, 2011, Laurent Gbagbo was detained by forces aligned with Alasanne Ouattara after several days of fighting in Abidjan.  Both sides have been accused of human rights violations.

The Center's office in Atlanta continued to monitor the turbulent situation in the aftermath of the election and supports the political transition in Côte d'Ivoire and the restoration of peace in the region.