Ivory Coast's Election: Old Leaders, Young Dreams

Ivory Coast is holding a presidential election, and the focus is on the age of the candidates. The current leader, Alassane Ouattara, is 83 years old and has been in power since 2011. He has overseen economic growth and stability but is now hinting that this might be his last campaign. Ouattara's journey to power was not smooth. He took charge after a civil war in 2011, which started because his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to accept defeat in the 2010 election. This war resulted in around 3, 000 deaths. Now, both Gbagbo and another notable figure, Tidjane Thiam, are ineligible to run this year, leaving Ouattara as the clear favorite. The incumbent leader has spoken about the need for generational change. At a recent event, he mentioned that the country needs to renew its team, acknowledging that working at their age is not easy. This is quite a statement, considering the median age in Ivory Coast is just 18. Ivory Coast is known for being the world's largest cocoa producer and one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. Ouattara has been working on diversifying the economy, focusing on mining, and investing in schools and roads to attract more private investment. He claims to have turned the country around and wants this growth to continue. However, not everyone is on board with Ouattara's vision. Many young Ivorians are skeptical of the political elite, citing issues like unemployment, economic inequality, and lack of representation. A 22-year-old student, Landry Ka, expressed his frustration, saying they are tired of seeing old people making decisions for them. He wants someone who understands the problems facing young people and can help them find jobs. The youngest candidate in the race is Jean-Louis Billon, who is 60 years old. He did not get the backing of the main opposition party, which is led by Thiam. The highest-profile challenger to Ouattara is Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady, who is 76 years old. More than eight million people are registered to vote, and polling stations will be open from 0800 GMT to 1800 GMT. Provisional results are expected within five days, and a runoff will be held if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote. The government has deployed 44, 000 members of the security forces to maintain order, and hundreds have been arrested during the campaign.