Voters in Ivory Coast are focused on the legacy of 83-year-old Ouattara

Ivory Coast held its presidential election on Saturday without any major problems. The current president, Alassane Ouattara, 83, is the clear favorite and has been in power for 15 years. He praised the country’s economic growth and security and hinted that this would be his last campaign.

Many polling places in Abidjan, the commercial city, looked like not many people showed up to vote.

A group of observers from the national human rights council said that in more than a dozen opposition areas outside of Abidjan, protesters blocked roads and burned or stole election materials, making it harder for people to vote.

The army said that 30 voting places in the center-west of Haute-Sassandra were broken into, but that 97% of the stations were safe.

There were more than 8 million people who were signed up to vote. Polling places were set to close at 6 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), but counting started right away in the Abdjame, Cocody, and Yopougon districts of Abidjan, according to witnesses who spoke to Reuters.

Within five days, we should have provisional results. If no one gets more than 50% of the vote, there will be a rematch.

Ouattara took power in 2011 after a four-month civil war that killed about 3,000 people. He used to work as an international banker and as the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund. The war began when Laurent Gbagbo, who was president before him, refused to admit that he had lost the 2010 election.

SUCCESSION GETS THE LOOK

This year, Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam, who used to be the CEO of Credit Suisse, were not allowed to run. Also, the other opposition candidates don’t have the support of a major political party, which makes Ouattara the clear favorite.

Ouattara said that a fourth term would be one of “generational transmission” when he announced his run for office in July. This week, he said, “It’s not easy to work at the same pace” as he did when he was younger.

The middle age in Ivory Coast is 18.

Around 8:00 GMT, polling places opened in the Adjame district of Abidjan. Even Ouattara’s fans said he should be nearing the end of his career.

“He has really changed how people see Ivory Coast, but this should be his last job.” “We need to hand the baton to the next generation,” said 44-year-old driver Souamane Cisse.

Fatou Fofana, a 48-year-old schoolteacher, also said it was time for younger people to lead, as long as the change goes smoothly. The party in power doesn’t have a clear choice for the next leader.

Fafana said, “It has to come at the right time.” “We need security.”

Coming to vote with his wife and fans yelling that he would give them a “knockout blow” in the first round, Ouattara went to a high school in Cocody.

Ouattara told reporters in a few words that “peace has returned” and that the election was going well.

Former first lady Simone Gbagbo, who is Ouattara’s most well-known opponent, also voted in Cocody.

“I can’t give you numbers, but I can give you trends,” she said. “trends point to my victory.” She also said she hoped the country would stay peaceful.

YOUNG IVORIANS DO NOT TRUST VOICES

Ivory Coast has one of the fastest-growing economies in the area. It grows cocoa faster than any other country in the world. Some of the best-performing investments in Africa are based in this country.

With a focus on mining, Ouattara has tried to broaden its economy. To get more private investment, the country has also put money into schools and roads.

Not everyone is happy with it.

Reuters talked to Alfred N’zi, 36, who was voting in the area of Abidjan called Bingerville. He said he hasn’t had a job since losing his job at the port three years ago.

“At first, I didn’t want to vote, but I came to make a difference.” “I want things to change,” he said, but he wouldn’t say which candidate from the opposition he would support.

Stupid 22-year-old Landry Ka said that young people in the Ivory Coast were “tired of seeing old people making decisions for us, the younger generation.”

Simone Gbagbo, who is 76 years old, said Ka backed her.

Jean-Louis Billon, who is 60 years old and used to be minister of trade, is the youngest candidate in the race. PDCI, the biggest opposition party led by Thiam, who is 63 years old, did not back him.

Chukwuemeka Eze, head of the Democratic Futures in Africa Program at Open Society Foundations, said, “Many young Ivorians have a lot of doubts about the political elite because they see high unemployment, unfair economic conditions, and a lack of meaningful representation.”

THOUSANDS ARRESTED DURING THE CAMPAIGN

Before the election, things were mostly calm, but there were a few protests in places like Yamoussoukro, which is the political center and where a curfew was put in place on Friday night.

The government put 44,000 people in the security forces and banned protests in a way that Amnesty International said was unfair.

A lot of people have been arrested, and the ministry of the interior said that dozens of them had been sentenced to up to three years in jail for crimes like disturbing public order.

Former prime minister Patrick Achi, who works for the government, told Reuters that the government would support free speech while also keeping things in order.