Ivory Coast dissolves electoral commission after criticism

ABIDJAN, May 6 - Ivory Coast's government has dissolved the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) following sustained criticism of the body over its handling of elections, government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly said on Wednesday.

• The decision was approved by the government following repeated disputes over the commission's independence and its handling of elections, Coulibaly told a news conference after a cabinet meeting.

• He said the move was intended to pave the way for a new election management system and help restore public confidence in the electoral process, with the aim of ensuring "peaceful polls".

• Coulibaly said that discussions within the government would now decide what structure will replace the CEI.

• Ivory Coast last held a presidential election in October 2025, when President Alassane Ouattara won a fourth term with nearly 90% of the vote after several prominent opposition figures were barred from running, prompting criticism from opposition and civil society groups over the inclusiveness of the process.

• The CEI, created in October 2001, has overseen all of Ivory Coast's elections since the end of military rule and has been at the centre of nearly every major electoral dispute, including the 2010 presidential election whose contested outcome triggered months of deadly violence.

• Opposition parties have long accused the commission of lacking independence, saying its membership is overly aligned with the ruling coalition, accusations authorities have previously rejected. REUTERS