The proposed reform of the Election Management Body (EMB) in Côte d'Ivoire is generating real hope within civil society. In a statement released in Abidjan on Thursday, June 25, 2026, Jean-Marc Hovi, National Coordinator of the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-CI), described this initiative as a "significant opportunity" to sustainably consolidate the trust of citizens and the political class in the electoral system.

This stance follows the information meeting organized by the government the previous Monday, bringing together political parties, media and civil organizations.

Conditions for success: Inclusion and impartiality

While welcoming the authorities' commitment to modernizing the electoral institutional framework, WANEP-CI emphasizes the importance of methodology. For this reform to succeed and strengthen the system's credibility, it must be based on three key pillars:

1. Inclusion: Actively involve all stakeholders, including civil society.
2. Dialogue: Continue the process in a spirit of open transparency.
3. The experience: Learning from past elections to build a truly impartial, effective and credible electoral body.

WANEP-CI's strong recommendation: The organization advocates the creation of a National Council for Peace, Civic and Political Education , aimed at more deeply embedding democratic culture among Ivorian citizens.

Moving beyond debates about form

Speaking directly to political actors, Jean-Marc Hovi urged them not to get bogged down in purely procedural disputes concerning the structure of the body. The essential point, according to him, lies in the capacity of this future institution to meet the concrete expectations of the population .

WANEP-CI reaffirms its full availability to support this transition, faithful to its mission of conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

What we know about the reform project

Presented by the government at the meeting on June 22, the main outlines of the future OGE are structured around a three-pillar functional framework:

Pillar	Main mission
1. Logistics	The logistical organization of the various elections.
2. Data Processing	The counting of votes and the centralization of results.
3. Regulation	The overall supervision and control of the electoral process.

A more detailed reform proposal should be submitted very soon to all stakeholders for consideration.