Presented at the 34th AFSAAP Conference Flinders University 2011 1

The separation of ethnicity and election in Africa: The case for Cote d’Ivoire On 28 November 2010, Cote d’Ivoire held its first democratic presidential elections. The run off was a battle between Laurent Gbagbo and Allassane Ouattara. The ballot was not “fair” because the election was rigged in the north which is a stronghold of Ouattara and mostly dominated by Muslims. The result has sparked off another ethnic tension between the Dioula and Bete. Given the introduction of an ultra-nationalist politics known as Ivoirite, Ivorian electorate is known for its complexity because ethnicity seems to play a significant role on the choice of voters and politicians. This essay seeks to examine the effect of ethnicity on democratic elections in Cote d’Ivoire. It argues that while the possibility of ethnic impact cannot be fully ignored and while the ethnic tension between north and south is a reality, this divide is not necessary linked to the ethnic factor. This argument is illustrated with evidence from 2000 and 2010 elections in Cote d’Ivoire. An analysis shows a contrast in various forms in terms of individual vote and the modification of ethnic allegiance and family members have different views about candidates during elections. Voters ’ choices in Cote d’Ivoire are probably based on the politics of identity but not all political parties are determined by ethnicity