Ivory Coast’s Election: A Two-Decade Power Grab Under the Guise of Democracy

On the surface, Ivory Coast’s latest election appears as a routine democratic exercise with 8.7 million registered voters opening polls on Saturday. Yet this vote signals far more than a peaceful transfer of power—it exposes how entrenched elites cling to control at the expense of true national sovereignty and democratic integrity.Is This Election Truly Free or a Facade for Elitism?President Alassane Ouattara, an 83-year-old veteran politician and former International Monetary Fund deputy director, seeks a fourth term—potentially extending his near two-decade reign. His party, RHDP, dominates parliament, controlling 169 of 255 seats. Opposition candidates like Simone Gbagbo and Jean-Louis Billon...