11 Oct 2018 | 11:54 AM UTC
Côte d’Ivoire: Municipal and regional elections October 13 /update 2
Municipal and regional elections to be held nationwide on October 13; avoid all gatherings
Event
Municipal and regional elections will be held nationwide on Saturday, October 13, to choose city and regional counselors. Heightened security measures are anticipated around all election-related events and polling stations; 30,000 members of the security forces - including soldiers, policemen, and gendarmes - are expected to be deployed throughout the country. Violence between supporters of rival parties, and between supporters and security forces, during and after the vote cannot be ruled out.
Context
Political tensions are currently elevated in the country as the elections follow the recent "divorce" between the PDCI (Parti démocratique de Côte d'Ivoire) and the RDR (Rassemblement des Républicains) parties, who had both been allied under the ruling RHDP coalition (Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix). On August 9, the PDCI decided to put an end to the alliance after the RDR proposed to transform the coalition into a political party.
Advice
As a precautionary measure, individuals present in Côte d'Ivoire are advised to monitor local media, avoid all protests and demonstrations (as they could turn violent), and refrain from discussing domestic political issues in public.
