2016 Ivorian constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Ivory Coast on 30 October 2016. Voters were asked whether they approve of a proposed new constitution. The new constitution would create a Senate, remove the nationality clause from the presidential requirements and establish the post of Vice-President. The constitution was approved by 93.42% of votes with a 42.42% turnout, as announced by the president of the Independent Electoral Commission.
Background
The holding of the referendum was approved by the National Assembly on 22 July 2016 by a vote of 233 to 6 with seven abstentions.New constitution
The new constitution includes several changes to the current constitution, including the removal of a requirement for both parents of presidential candidates to be natural-born Ivorians and not to have had any other citizenship. It would also create the post of Vice-President and a Senate composed of former public servants. The President, Vice-President and two thirds of the Senate is to be elected at the same time as parliamentary elections, with the remaining third appointed by the president-elect.There was speculation that President Alassane Ouattara would seek a third term in 2020, as the clause of the old constitution that required candidates to be younger than 75 years old was removed. He continued to promise that he would retire from politics in 2020, up to July 2020, when he announced his candidacy, arguing that his two previous terms did not count against the two-term term limit because of the change of constitution. He won the election with 94% of votes, amid an opposition boycott.