Ivory Coast candidates hold final rallies ahead of Saturday's election

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ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Candidates in Ivory Coast’s presidential election held their final rallies Thursday as the campaign officially concluded in the West African nation of 30 million people.

The country goes to the polls on Saturday with incumbent President Alassane Ouattara seeking a fourth term that would bring his rule over the cocoa-rich nation to almost two decades. He is running under the ruling party, Rassemblement des Houphouetistes pour la Paix, with the slogan “For a Great Nation."

8.7 million people have registered to vote in the election, with four weakened opposition parties challenging Ouattara.

Thousands of Ouattara supporters converged in central Abidjan after an earlier street party on Thursday. From a location overlooking the city’s new bridges at the final rally in the economic capital, the 83-year-old president delivered a message to his opponents: “The dogs are barking but the caravan has moved already.”

Other candidates also made strong final appeals to their supporters. Former first lady Simone Gbagbo held her final rally in Aboisso, in the eastern part of the country, while Jean-Louis Billon, a former commerce minister, held his rally in Bouake, in the central region.

Analysts say these candidates do not stand a chance, especially since the two most significant opposition challengers, former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam and Laurent Gbagbo, a former president, have been disqualified.

The exclusion of candidates from Saturday’s poll sparked nationwide protests, resulting in hundreds of arrests and dozens of imprisonments.

As the election draws near, a vibrant, colorful city has slowed down with shops closed in many areas due to fear of violence breaking out. Elections in Ivory Coast have a history of violence.

Streets in Abidjan are dotted with signboards of Ouattara, the octogenarian smiling in a close-up portrait, while posters of his opponents are scarce, a sign of the president's chances on Saturday.

“Ouattara will win in the first round,” said Ange Ouattara, a 25-year-old supporter of the president, who dismissed his rivals as “opponents just for the sake of opposition.”

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa