Côte d'Ivoire’s ruling party RHDP won 58% of seats in the 6 March parliamentary elections, according to the first official results, news agency Reuters reports. “It strengthens Ouattara administration’s legitimacy, in light of the controversial presidential elections last year, and consolidates the RHDP’s control over parliament”, says NAI Senior Researcher Jesper Bjarnesen.

The vote could be seen as a necessary step towards a less polarized and confrontational political climate in Côte d’Ivoire, but two major questions still need to be answered, according to Bjarnesen.

First, whether the opposition and their supporters will accept the result, considering that the composition of the Independent Electoral Commission was a hotly contested issues in last year’s poll.

“We should remember that the escalation of armed conflict following the 2010 presidential elections began after the announcement of the results, not around election day. There is a similar risk today – that a disappointed opposition may mobilise their supporters on the grounds that the election was rigged.”

Second, whether Ouattara and his party will use this electoral endorsement to encourage collaboration in parliament and national reconciliation. If the RHDP uses its majority to exclude the opposition from influence, this could fuel polarization and create an equally tense confrontation in coming elections.

“Even if the aftermath of the elections remains calm, the past year has been a considerable backslide for Ivorian democracy. A situation where the political process is in the hands of an individual, rather than a set of accountable institutions, is just not the right path towards a more functional democracy.”

Ahead of the 6 March legislative election the two ex-presidents Laurent Gbagbo, of Ivorian Popular Front, and Henri Konan Bédié, of Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, had teamed up to urge voters to support opposition candidates to the National Assembly in order to “avoid the consolidation of absolute power in our country” and “to reconcile the Ivorian people”.

The accusations against Ouattara referred to his decision to run for a third term in office. The decision was strongly criticised by the opposition and led to deadly street clashes between supporters of the rival candidates.

Ouattara and his supporters view the country’s new constitution – approved in 2016 following his re-election – as giving him the legal right to run for president again. The opposition maintains that a two-term limit still stands.

Ouattara won last year’s presidential election with 94.27% of the vote after the opposition had decided not to take part.

TEXT: Mattias Sköld