Côte d’Ivoire begins liquidation of former Independent Electoral Commission

The liquidation process for Côte d’Ivoire’s former Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) officially entered its operational phase on September 7, 2026. The transition was marked by a formal handover ceremony at the institution's headquarters in Abidjan Cocody between the outgoing Secretary General, Euloge Guy Kouassi, and the newly appointed liquidator, Lassana Sylla.

The ceremony was presided over by Gilbert Koné Kafana, the High Representative of the President of the Republic. The dissolution of the CEI, which had been in place since 2001, was officially decreed on May 6, 2026, as part of government efforts to implement a new electoral management mechanism.

Lassana Sylla’s mandate includes managing a roadmap covering human resources, assets, logistics, and finances. This process will involve conducting inventories, regularizing contracts and accounts, settling debts with suppliers, and managing staff rights. Euloge Guy Kouassi noted that while the legal existence of the CEI is ending, the transition represents a move toward new perspectives for the country’s electoral processes.