Abidjan, December 27 (QNA) - Voters in Côte d'Ivoire headed to the polls Saturday to elect a new parliament, two months after the presidential election in which President Alassane Ouattara secured a fourth term.

Approximately 8.7 million voters are participating in this election, competing for 255 parliamentary seats, with 2,740 candidates contesting, including 800 independents.

The ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), fielding candidates across multiple constituencies, aims to secure a parliamentary majority and preserve its dominance over the legislature.

Meanwhile, the main opposition, represented by the African People's Party- Côte d'Ivoire (PPA‑CI) led by former President Laurent Gbagbo, boycotted the parliamentary elections following its exclusion from the presidential race due to judicial rulings affecting its leadership.

The Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire -African Democratic Rally (PDCI‑RDA), under the leadership of Tidjane Thiam, who was also excluded from the last presidential election for judicial reasons, is fielding a limited number of candidates in the current parliamentary contest.

These elections carry particular significance due to historically low voter turnout: participation in the last presidential election did not exceed 50 percent, while the previous parliamentary elections in 2021 recorded only 37.86 percent.

This underscores that any party's success hinges on its ability to mobilize the electorate.

At the end of October, Ivorians elected President Alassane Ouattara for a fourth term, securing 89.77 percent of the votes. (QNA)