Ivory Coast’s Controversial Election Exposes Deep Democratic Flaws and Risks to Regional Stability

The recent confirmation of President Alassane Ouattara's victory in Ivory Coast's presidential election is more than just a local political event—it reveals the troubling erosion of democratic norms that should concern all freedom-loving nations, especially the United States with vested interests in African stability. When Does Election Legitimacy Become Authoritarian Overreach? At 83 years old, Ouattara secured a staggering 89.77% of the vote according to the country’s Constitutional Council, granting him a controversial fourth term. Yet this isn’t simply a matter of electoral numbers. The Ivorian constitution clearly limits presidents to two consecutive terms. Ouattara's camp argues that his previous...