Legislative elections took place peacefully 18 Dec despite tensions within and between political parties and coalitions. Ruling coalition Houphouëtist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) won absolute majority with 167 seats of 254. Independent candidates, including many who refused to follow majority coalition line, won 75 seats. Moderate opposition faction led by Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) leader Pascal Affi Nguessan won three seats. Authorities temporarily suspended several opposition newspapers 7 Dec.

President Ouattara 8 Nov enacted new constitution after 93.42% voted in favour of it in 30 Oct referendum. Opposition early Nov rejected results, in particular official turnout figure of 42.42%, and claimed vote rigged. Govt 3 Nov said legislative elections will be held 18 Dec. Gendarmes early Nov briefly arrested some opposition leaders including Mamadou Koulibaly and Abudramane Sangaré allegedly for calling for referendum boycott. Unidentified men 5 Nov attacked opposition supporters at meeting in Abidjan. Court 16 Nov said former First Lady Simone Gbagbo’s trial will continue in her absence after she refused to appear in court protesting its refusal to hear some witnesses. Gendarmes and civilians clashed 16 Nov in Namoin (north), two gendarmes and two civilians killed. Youths and security forces clashed 17 Nov in capital, Yamoussoukro (centre) after death of arrested man.

National Assembly 11 Oct adopted draft new constitution by 239 votes to eight; referendum 30 Oct on whether to accept new constitution took place largely peacefully. Opposition continued to reject process and content of text, called for boycott: protest planned for 5 Oct cancelled, leader of opposition party Freedom and Democracy for the Republic (LIDER) Mamadou Koulibaly briefly arrested same day. Opposition held protest 8 Oct; authorities banned and repressed opposition protest 20 Oct, Koulibaly and hard-line opposition leader Abudramane Sangaré briefly arrested. Opposition also held protests 28 Oct.

Political climate remained polarised ahead of planned Oct constitutional referendum and Nov legislative elections. Authorities freed eight imprisoned supporters of former President Gbagbo 6 Sept. Govt and opposition 8 Sept revived permanent framework for political dialogue with formal meeting, govt said it would free 60 imprisoned opposition supporters by end of 2016, but opposition leader Pascal Affi Nguessan continued to reject constitutional referendum and demand election of constituent assembly to draft new constitution instead. Govt 28 Sept formally adopted new constitution bill. U.S. 14 Sept lifted economic sanctions imposed Feb 2006 against political actors for blocking peace process.

Following 22 July National Assembly vote in favour of constitutional referendum, President Ouattara 7 Aug said proposed new constitution will include creation of VP position and senate; opposition reiterated rejection of referendum process and proposed amendments. Voter rolls displayed 20-27 Aug in preparation for Sept/Oct referendum and Nov/Dec parliamentary elections. Antoinette Rouissa Mého, opposition party Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) member and defence witness for former President Gbagbo and his wife Simone, arrested 10 Aug, indicted 17 Aug for crimes including breach of state security.

Tensions grew between govt and opposition: police 15 July broke up gathering in Abidjan urging signing of petition to demand release of former President Gbagbo, arrested three opposition supporters who were put on trial 25 July for organising “gathering that could upset public calm”. Govt 13 July indicted two military officers for being in contact with perpetrators of mid-March terrorist attack at Grand-Bassam prior to attack but failing to expose them; officers denied accusation. Riots and looting erupted 22 July in Bouaké in centre over rising electricity prices; one person killed and dozens injured in clashes between civilians, including disgruntled former combatants, and security forces. Relations with Burkina Faso improved (see Burkina Faso).

Govt 1 June appointed ten-member committee to draft new constitution; possible changes could clarify presidential eligibility criteria and create VP position. President Ouattara 7 June said constitutional referendum to be held Sept-Oct followed by Nov-Dec legislative elections; 23 opposition parties 30 June rejected proposed process for amending constitution. Updating of voter rolls began 25 June. International Criminal Court trial of former President Gbagbo and youth leader Charles Blé Goudé resumed 6 June; former First Lady Simone Gbagbo on trial in Abidjan for crimes against humanity pleaded not guilty, denounced trial as political.

ICC trial of former President Gbagbo and youth leader Charles Blé Goudé for crimes against humanity resumed 9 May. Gbagbo’s son Michel and French journalist indicted 24 May for “spreading false information” after saying that govt still held political prisoners. Alleged member of terrorist cell reportedly responsible for mid-March Grand-Bassam attack arrested in Abidjan 26 May. Trial of former First Lady Simone Gbagbo for crimes against humanity began 31 May in Abidjan.

Govt 13 April said it had arrested 83 people in connection with 13 March terrorist attack in Grand-Bassam claimed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), including sixteen with direct links; prime suspect Kounta Dallah still at large. Students in Abidjan demanding better living conditions clashed with police 11 April. Govt detained 40-50 students and 13 April arrested leader of Student Federation of Côte d’Ivoire (FESCI), former President Gbagbo’s violent student wing; protests erupted next day against arrest. UN group of experts report early-April accused former Forces Nouvelles rebels, led by national assembly speaker Guillaume Soro, of holding 300 tonnes of weapons that Soro allegedly obtained in 2011 after post-election crisis, violating UN arms embargo in place since 2004; Soro denied accusations. UNSC 28 April lifted arms embargo, renewed UN mission’s mandate for one final year until June 2017 and removed remaining sanctions (asset freeze and travel bans), including against Gbagbo.

In unprecedented terrorist attack, gunmen 13 March shot dead sixteen civilians on beach and in hotels in Grand-Bassam, 40km east of Abidjan; three gunmen and three security forces also killed. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility; four alleged accomplices (three Malians and one Ivorian) arrested 20 March in Abidjan, two Malians also arrested 25-26 March in northern Mali. Intercommunal clashes 24-25 March between Fulani herdsmen and Lobi farmers in Bouna (NE) quickly escalated; at least twenty killed (including twelve Burkinabe), some 1,500 fled to Burkina Faso.