Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara has provisionally secured a fourth term in office, following an election where two of his most significant challengers were barred from participating. According to provisional results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CIE) on Monday, the 83-year-old Ouattara won with 89.77% of the vote, equating to approximately 3.75 million votes. Businessman Jeal-Louis Billon came in a distant second, receiving only 3.09% of the ballot. The electoral commission also reported that voter turnout for the election reached just 50.1%.

The overwhelming victory for Ouattara was largely anticipated, primarily due to the absence of his main rivals from the presidential race. Former President Laurent Gbagbo and Credit Suisse ex-CEO Tidjane Thiam were both banned from contesting the election. In response, both individuals, along with their respective parties, had urged their supporters to boycott the vote, contributing to the lower-than-average turnout. Notably, Gbagbo's ex-wife, Simone Gbagbo, who was permitted to run, garnered 2.42% of the vote.

These Monday results remain provisional, with the final outcome pending an announcement by the Constitutional Council, which will rule on any submitted election petitions. However, the opposition group, comprising the parties of Gbagbo and Thiam, was quick to denounce the election. On Sunday, they labeled the process a "civilian coup d'etat," explicitly stating their refusal to recognize Ouattara as a validly elected leader, further intensifying the political tension in the West African nation.

Ouattara's path to a fourth term has been marked by constitutional developments. He first assumed the presidency in 2011, a period that followed Laurent Gbagbo's arrest after his refusal to accept defeat in the hotly contested 2010 election. Originally, Ouattara's tenure was restricted to two terms. However, a significant constitutional overhaul in 2016 controversially allowed him to seek re-election beyond the initial limit. This amendment paved the way for his candidacy in the 2020 election, which was similarly boycotted by the opposition, and now for his current provisional victory.