A number of people are reported to have died in election-day violence that occurred various parts of Ivory Coast, officials said on Sunday, as polling stations began sending voting tallies to the electoral commission.

The mayor of the town of Tiebissou is reported to have said that four people were killed and 27 injured by bullets and machetes when some armed men came into the town and fired shots at people.

Reports also say that one person was killed in the pro-Bedie town of Niable – this was anonymously made known by a government official.

Opposition leaders who boycotted Saturday’s election say about a dozen people died, if not more.

It has been reported that more than 20 others had been killed some days to the vote as a result of violent protests, human rights groups said.

Alassane Ouattara‘s opponents are of the view that the sitting he is breaking the law by running again for a third term as the constitution limits presidential terms to two. The way things are playing out, there are glaring risks of the fragile peace holding the country together to get shattered.

The Ouattara who is currently 78 years old, holds a view that he qualifies to run again under a new constitution, because the said constitution was approved only in 2016 which means that he believes that his previous terms as president are now null and void.

Critics say the election outcome was all but predetermined as 40 of the 44 candidates seeking to challenge him were disqualified, including exiled former rebel chief Guillaume Soro and Gbagbo.

Two of Ouattara three remaining opponents — Pascal Affi N’Guessan and Henri Konan Bedie, decided to boycott the elections and directed their supporters to stay home too and not vote.

Henri Konan Bedie, whose rivalry with Ouattara has marked Ivorian politics for three decades, also called for a boycott and a campaign of civil disobedience to halt or disrupt the election.

The leaders of the opposition went a step further o Sunday and asked for a “civil transition,” since according to them, Ouattara’s aspirations to still stay in power are illegal.

“Opposition parties and political groups call for the start of a civil transition,” opposition leader Pascal Affi N’Guessan told reporters.

Source; https://africaatrandom.com/ivory-coast-election-violence-leaves-many-people-dead/

Africa!

African Leaders are always greedy on power. let him not forget that his successor was chased away by military men

Elections in Africa na do or die and war. Why We Africans be like this ?

Expectations weren't cut short!