Africa-Press. A spokesperson for the government of Ivory Coast, Amadou Koulibaly, stated that the government has dissolved the independent electoral commission following ongoing criticisms regarding its handling of elections.
Koulibaly announced at a press conference after a cabinet meeting that the government approved the decision after repeated disputes over the commission’s independence and its management of elections. He explained that this step aims to pave the way for a new system for managing elections and to help restore public trust in the electoral process, with the goal of ensuring “peaceful elections.”
He added that discussions within the government will now determine the structure that will replace the central electoral commission.
Ivory Coast held its last presidential election in October 2025, when President Alassane Ouattara won a fourth term with nearly 90% of the votes after many prominent opposition figures were barred from running, which drew criticism from the opposition and civil society groups regarding the inclusiveness of the process.
The independent electoral commission, established in October 2001, has overseen all elections in Ivory Coast since the end of military rule and has been at the center of nearly every major electoral dispute, including the disputed presidential election of 2010, which led to months of violence.
Opposition parties have long accused the commission of lacking independence, claiming that its members are excessively biased toward the ruling coalition, accusations that authorities have previously denied.
