Ivory Coast is heading to the polls with President Alassane Ouattara poised to secure a historic fourth term in office. The election reflects ongoing political dynamics in the West African nation, with key issues of stability, development, and governance at the forefront. Get the latest on the electoral process and its implications.


Alassane Ouattara Set To Secure Fourth Term 

President Vladimir Putin stuck with his long-serving prime minister in his first act after being sworn in for a new term on Monday, signalling that he would keep faith with a policy direction that has brought Russia into conflict with the West.

Standing in the ornately-decorated Andreyevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, with his hand on a gold-embossed copy of the constitution, Putin, 65, swore to serve the Russian people, to safeguard rights and freedoms, and protect Russian sovereignty.

Putin won the new six-year term after more than 70 percent of voters backed him in a March 18 presidential election. His most dangerous challenger, Alexei Navalny, was not allowed to take part. Navalny was detained on Saturday at a protest called under the slogan: "Putin is not our tsar."

Soon after the inauguration ceremony, the Kremlin issued a statement saying that Putin had nominated Dmitry Medvedev to be prime minister in his new term. Medvedev, a loyal Putin lieutenant, has held the job since 2012.

The appointment needs to be approved by the lower house of parliament, but that is likely to be a formality because the chamber is dominated by Kremlin loyalists.

Some Kremlin-watchers had speculated Putin might bring in a fresh face as prime minister to kick-start reforms of the sluggish economy and revive foreign investment curtailed by stand-offs with the West.

By choosing Medvedev - seen by people close to the Russian elite as a safe pair of hands whose chief quality is loyalty to his boss - Putin indicated he favoured continuity.

The choice is also likely to be parsed by Kremlin-watchers for any clues about what happens after Putin's current term ends in 2024. The constitution bars him from seeking a third consecutive term.

When Putin came up against the same term limits in 2008, he got around the problem by anointing Medvedev as president, before taking back the job after one term.

Some observers believe Putin, who has not anointed any heir apparent, could attempt the same manoeuvre a second time.

LIMOUSINE

Putin embarks on his new term, his fourth in total, buoyed by widespread popular support but also weighed down by the costly confrontation with the West, low economic growth, and uncertainty about what happens when his terms ends.

In a speech after the swearing-in ceremony, Putin said that in the next six years Russia would prove a strong, muscular player on the world stage, backed by a powerful military, while pushing hard to improve life for its citizens at home.

"Taking up this post, I feel a colossal sense of responsibility," Putin told his audience of Russian officials and foreign dignitaries, among them former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

For the short journey from his office to the inauguration ceremony, Putin travelled in a new Russian-made limousine. From now on, the limousine will replace the fleet of imported vehicles Putin uses, state television reported.

The choice of transport chimes with a message, often repeated by Putin, that Russia is ready to stand on its own feet and shake off its dependence on the West.

Foreign diplomats see little prospect that Russia's standoffs with the West that have dominated the past four years will ease during Putin's new term.

Clashes in the past few weeks over U.S. sanctions on Russia, the conflict in Syria, and the poisoning in England of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal have left some diplomats worried that the confrontation could spiral out of control.

TROUBLES AHEAD

Opinion polls show Putin has high levels of support among Russian citizens, and Navalny has not been able to inspire a nationwide upsurge of protests.

But the Russian economy is a potential weakness for Putin.

Buffeted by lower oil prices, falls in the rouble, inflation and the impact of sanctions, average monthly wages have fallen from the equivalent of $867 in 2013 to $553 last year.

Russia's economy, the world's eleventh largest, returned to growth of 1.5 percent last year, helped by a recovery in oil prices. But that fell far short of the growth Russians grew accustomed to earlier in Putin's rule.

Putin, first elected president in 2000, will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation. By the time his term ends, Putin will be 71.

Foreign diplomats and analysts say uncertainty over what happens after 2024 is likely to destabilise the ruling elite and spark infighting among rival Kremlin clans.

Soon after the inauguration ceremony, the Kremlin issued a statement saying that Putin had nominated Dmitry Medvedev to be prime minister in his new term. Medvedev, a loyal Putin lieutenant, has held the job since 2012

President Vladimir Putin stuck with his long-serving prime minister in his first act after being sworn in for a new term on Monday, signalling that he would keep faith with a policy direction that has brought Russia into conflict with the West. Standing in the ornately-decorated Andreyevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, with his hand on a gold-embossed copy of the constitution, Putin, 65, swore to serve the Russian people, to safeguard rights and freedoms, and protect Russian sovereignty. Putin won the new six-year term after more than 70 percent of voters backed him in a March 18 presidential election. His most dangerous challenger, Alexei Navalny, was not allowed to take part. Navalny was detained on Saturday at a protest called under the slogan: "Putin is not our tsar." Soon after the inauguration ceremony, the Kremlin issued a statement saying that Putin had nominated Dmitry Medvedev to be prime minister in his new term. Medvedev, a loyal Putin lieutenant, has held the job since 2012. The appointment needs to be approved by the lower house of parliament, but that is likely to be a formality because the chamber is dominated by Kremlin loyalists. Some Kremlin-watchers had speculated Putin might bring in a fresh face as prime minister to kick-start reforms of the sluggish economy and revive foreign investment curtailed by stand-offs with the West. By choosing Medvedev - seen by people close to the Russian elite as a safe pair of hands whose chief quality is loyalty to his boss - Putin indicated he favoured continuity. The choice is also likely to be parsed by Kremlin-watchers for any clues about what happens after Putin's current term ends in 2024. The constitution bars him from seeking a third consecutive term. When Putin came up against the same term limits in 2008, he got around the problem by anointing Medvedev as president, before taking back the job after one term. Some observers believe Putin, who has not anointed any heir apparent, could attempt the same manoeuvre a second time. LIMOUSINE Putin embarks on his new term, his fourth in total, buoyed by widespread popular support but also weighed down by the costly confrontation with the West, low economic growth, and uncertainty about what happens when his terms ends. In a speech after the swearing-in ceremony, Putin said that in the next six years Russia would prove a strong, muscular player on the world stage, backed by a powerful military, while pushing hard to improve life for its citizens at home. "Taking up this post, I feel a colossal sense of responsibility," Putin told his audience of Russian officials and foreign dignitaries, among them former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. For the short journey from his office to the inauguration ceremony, Putin travelled in a new Russian-made limousine. From now on, the limousine will replace the fleet of imported vehicles Putin uses, state television reported. The choice of transport chimes with a message, often repeated by Putin, that Russia is ready to stand on its own feet and shake off its dependence on the West. Foreign diplomats see little prospect that Russia's standoffs with the West that have dominated the past four years will ease during Putin's new term. Clashes in the past few weeks over U.S. sanctions on Russia, the conflict in Syria, and the poisoning in England of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal have left some diplomats worried that the confrontation could spiral out of control. TROUBLES AHEAD Opinion polls show Putin has high levels of support among Russian citizens, and Navalny has not been able to inspire a nationwide upsurge of protests. But the Russian economy is a potential weakness for Putin. Buffeted by lower oil prices, falls in the rouble, inflation and the impact of sanctions, average monthly wages have fallen from the equivalent of $867 in 2013 to $553 last year. Russia's economy, the world's eleventh largest, returned to growth of 1.5 percent last year, helped by a recovery in oil prices. But that fell far short of the growth Russians grew accustomed to earlier in Putin's rule. Putin, first elected president in 2000, will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation. By the time his term ends, Putin will be 71. Foreign diplomats and analysts say uncertainty over what happens after 2024 is likely to destabilise the ruling elite and spark infighting among rival Kremlin clans.

Putin sworn in as Russia President for new term, sticks with old prime minister

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and around 1,600 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth term as president.

Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule.

Before his detention, he briefly addressed supporters in central Moscow, leading them in chants of 'Down with the Tsar!".

"They said that this city belongs to Putin. Is that right?" Navalny asked his supporters. "Do you need a tsar?" he asked, eliciting a collective roar of "No!"

Putin won re-election overwhelmingly in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years - a tenure of 24 years that would make him Moscow's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Navalny, who was barred from running in the election on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's Pushkin Square, where young people were chanting "Russia without Putin!" and "Putin is a Thief!".

Video footage showed five policemen hauling him to a waiting van by his arms and legs, a scene that was repeated dozens of times with his supporters.

Early on Sunday, shortly after midnight, Navalny said on social media he had been released from custody until a court appearance, which is expected to take place on May 11.

Navalny said he had been charged with organising an unsanctioned meeting and with disobeying the police.

"Apparently the order came down not to 'jail me before the (Putin) inauguration,'" wrote Navalny.

The penalty for the offences he is charged with could see him fined and jailed for up to 30 days.

'NOTHING WILL CHANGE'

Navalny, who has been detained and jailed numerous times for organising similar protests, said he was proud to have made it to the rally.

One protester in Moscow, wearing a rabbit's mask with the legend "Tsar of the Animals", said he was unsure what the protest would achieve.

"I have the feeling that people are gathering just to let off steam and that nothing will change," said the 31-year-old man called Alexander, who declined to give his surname.

OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining 1,597 people across Russia, nearly half of them in Moscow. Images from the Moscow protest showed pro-Kremlin Cossacks beating protesters with leather whips.

A police spokesman said around 1,500 people had protested in Moscow, of whom around 300 had been detained, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters reporters estimated the crowd numbered several thousand.

Protests also took place in the Far East, Siberia and St. Petersburg, where Interfax cited the police as saying around 200 people had been detained. In the city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw over 1,000 people protesting and shouting anti-Putin slogans.

FATHER OF THE NATION

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 percent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow’s global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not approved beforehand, and that the police have a duty to protect public order.

Putin has dismissed Navalny as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan.

Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp.

With more than 56 million votes, almost 77 percent of the total, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern.

European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices. Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of annexing Ukraine’s Crimea illegally in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and around 1,600 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and around 1,600 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth term as president. Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule. Before his detention, he briefly addressed supporters in central Moscow, leading them in chants of 'Down with the Tsar!". "They said that this city belongs to Putin. Is that right?" Navalny asked his supporters. "Do you need a tsar?" he asked, eliciting a collective roar of "No!" Putin won re-election overwhelmingly in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years - a tenure of 24 years that would make him Moscow's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Navalny, who was barred from running in the election on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's Pushkin Square, where young people were chanting "Russia without Putin!" and "Putin is a Thief!". Video footage showed five policemen hauling him to a waiting van by his arms and legs, a scene that was repeated dozens of times with his supporters. Early on Sunday, shortly after midnight, Navalny said on social media he had been released from custody until a court appearance, which is expected to take place on May 11. Navalny said he had been charged with organising an unsanctioned meeting and with disobeying the police. "Apparently the order came down not to 'jail me before the (Putin) inauguration,'" wrote Navalny. The penalty for the offences he is charged with could see him fined and jailed for up to 30 days. 'NOTHING WILL CHANGE' Navalny, who has been detained and jailed numerous times for organising similar protests, said he was proud to have made it to the rally. One protester in Moscow, wearing a rabbit's mask with the legend "Tsar of the Animals", said he was unsure what the protest would achieve. "I have the feeling that people are gathering just to let off steam and that nothing will change," said the 31-year-old man called Alexander, who declined to give his surname. OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining 1,597 people across Russia, nearly half of them in Moscow. Images from the Moscow protest showed pro-Kremlin Cossacks beating protesters with leather whips. A police spokesman said around 1,500 people had protested in Moscow, of whom around 300 had been detained, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters reporters estimated the crowd numbered several thousand. Protests also took place in the Far East, Siberia and St. Petersburg, where Interfax cited the police as saying around 200 people had been detained. In the city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw over 1,000 people protesting and shouting anti-Putin slogans. FATHER OF THE NATION Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000. Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 percent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow’s global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not approved beforehand, and that the police have a duty to protect public order. Putin has dismissed Navalny as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan. Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp. With more than 56 million votes, almost 77 percent of the total, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern. European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices. Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of annexing Ukraine’s Crimea illegally in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.

Russian opposition leader and activists held before Putin inauguration

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday put forward Dmitry Medvedev for the post of prime minister, the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Medvedev, who had been prime minister since 2012, resigned earlier on Monday along with the rest of the government in line with procedure. Putin was on Monday sworn in for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-to-take-oath-as-russia-president-for-4th-term-135148">fourth term</a>.

Medvedev's candidacy still has to be approved by the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament.

Medvedev, who had been prime minister since 2012, resigned earlier on Monday along with the rest of the government in line with procedure

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday put forward Dmitry Medvedev for the post of prime minister, the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. Medvedev, who had been prime minister since 2012, resigned earlier on Monday along with the rest of the government in line with procedure. Putin was on Monday sworn in for a fourth term. Medvedev's candidacy still has to be approved by the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament.

Russia's Putin taps Dmitry Medvedev for prime minister

Russian presidential election 2018: Voting underway as Vladimir Putin set to win fourth term

Russians began voting Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to cement President Vladimir Putin&#39;s power for another six years.

Polls first opened in the Far East, and 109 million voters are eligible to cast ballots across the 11 time zones of the world&#39;s biggest country.

Since taking power 18 years ago, Putin has stamped his total authority on the country, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow&#39;s lost might abroad.

Polling at around 70 per cent, the macho leader is sure to extend his term to 2024 despite a lacklustre campaign ahead of a summer when global attention will be glued to Russia as it hosts the football World Cup.

Putin has sought to use the election run-up to emphasise Russia&#39;s role as a major world power, recently boasting of its &quot;invincible&quot; new weapons and continuing Moscow&#39;s support for the Syrian regime in a bloody civil war.

Rising tensions with the West over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain and new sanctions from Washington over alleged election meddling strengthen the impression of a Russia at loggerheads with the rest of the world.

&quot;In America and Europe, they are trying to make us bend over and kneel, but we&#39;re still standing,&quot; Sergei Babayev, a 55-year-old transport manager, said in central Moscow shortly ahead of the vote.

&quot;They promised us a crisis and we stuck it out. That&#39;s Putin&#39;s main quality -- he is at the core of our state.&quot;

Today also marks exactly four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea part of Russia following its annexation from Ukraine, an action that led to the war in the east of the former Soviet state.

Putin, who has run under the slogan &quot;a strong president -- a strong Russia&quot;, has declined to take part in televised debates and shot no new material for his own campaign advertisements.

He is standing against seven other candidates, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than eight percent.

One of the more memorable moments from the campaign came during a debate when Sobchak threw a glass of water over the ranting ultra-nationalist candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky, prompting him to call her a &quot;prostitute&quot; and a &quot;mad fool&quot;.

Putin&#39;s most vocal opponent, the anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, has been barred from standing for legal reasons and has called on followers to boycott an election he says is a sham. 
Authorities, however, are seeking a high turnout to add greater legitimacy to a new term for Putin, who is already Russia&#39;s second-longest serving leader since Joseph Stalin.

&quot;These are not quite the elections we see in Western countries,&quot; Stepan Goncharov of the independent Levada Center pollster said.

&quot;People are put in a situation where they have no-one to choose from,&quot; he said.

&quot;If they want to express their disapproval, then they don&#39;t turn out. They think of it as a vote of confidence (in Putin).&quot;

There has been a particular focus on the youth vote, with prizes offered for the best selfies taken at polling stations and a sexually charged online campaign that brands the election as &quot;for adults only&quot;.

Meanwhile, students in several cities have been warned they may face problems in examinations or even expulsion if they do not turn out to vote, according to liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Heads of schools and state enterprises have put pressure on their employees to vote, as in previous elections, in some cases telling workers they should bring in a list of names of friends or relatives who were also going to the polls.

Early voting has already taken place in some remote areas, where local election commissions bring ballot boxes by helicopter and snowmobile.

Overall turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 per cent, according to official pollsters.

The run-up to Russia&#39;s last presidential election in 2012 was marked by protests across the country against Putin&#39;s return as head of state after four years as prime minister.

But those demonstrations were quashed and once he was back in the Kremlin a crackdown followed, with activists arrested, the Pussy Riot rock band jailed and draconian new laws criminalising popular protest passed.

(With inputs from AFP)

Since taking power 18 years ago, Putin has stamped his total authority on the country, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow's lost might abroad.

Russian presidential election 2018: Voting underway as Vladimir Putin set to win fourth term Russians began voting Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to cement President Vladimir Putin's power for another six years. Polls first opened in the Far East, and 109 million voters are eligible to cast ballots across the 11 time zones of the world's biggest country. Since taking power 18 years ago, Putin has stamped his total authority on the country, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow's lost might abroad. Polling at around 70 per cent, the macho leader is sure to extend his term to 2024 despite a lacklustre campaign ahead of a summer when global attention will be glued to Russia as it hosts the football World Cup. Putin has sought to use the election run-up to emphasise Russia's role as a major world power, recently boasting of its "invincible" new weapons and continuing Moscow's support for the Syrian regime in a bloody civil war. Rising tensions with the West over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain and new sanctions from Washington over alleged election meddling strengthen the impression of a Russia at loggerheads with the rest of the world. "In America and Europe, they are trying to make us bend over and kneel, but we're still standing," Sergei Babayev, a 55-year-old transport manager, said in central Moscow shortly ahead of the vote. "They promised us a crisis and we stuck it out. That's Putin's main quality -- he is at the core of our state." Today also marks exactly four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea part of Russia following its annexation from Ukraine, an action that led to the war in the east of the former Soviet state. Putin, who has run under the slogan "a strong president -- a strong Russia", has declined to take part in televised debates and shot no new material for his own campaign advertisements. He is standing against seven other candidates, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than eight percent. One of the more memorable moments from the campaign came during a debate when Sobchak threw a glass of water over the ranting ultra-nationalist candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky, prompting him to call her a "prostitute" and a "mad fool". Putin's most vocal opponent, the anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, has been barred from standing for legal reasons and has called on followers to boycott an election he says is a sham. Authorities, however, are seeking a high turnout to add greater legitimacy to a new term for Putin, who is already Russia's second-longest serving leader since Joseph Stalin. "These are not quite the elections we see in Western countries," Stepan Goncharov of the independent Levada Center pollster said. "People are put in a situation where they have no-one to choose from," he said. "If they want to express their disapproval, then they don't turn out. They think of it as a vote of confidence (in Putin)." There has been a particular focus on the youth vote, with prizes offered for the best selfies taken at polling stations and a sexually charged online campaign that brands the election as "for adults only". Meanwhile, students in several cities have been warned they may face problems in examinations or even expulsion if they do not turn out to vote, according to liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Heads of schools and state enterprises have put pressure on their employees to vote, as in previous elections, in some cases telling workers they should bring in a list of names of friends or relatives who were also going to the polls. Early voting has already taken place in some remote areas, where local election commissions bring ballot boxes by helicopter and snowmobile. Overall turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 per cent, according to official pollsters. The run-up to Russia's last presidential election in 2012 was marked by protests across the country against Putin's return as head of state after four years as prime minister. But those demonstrations were quashed and once he was back in the Kremlin a crackdown followed, with activists arrested, the Pussy Riot rock band jailed and draconian new laws criminalising popular protest passed. (With inputs from AFP)

Russian presidential election 2018: Voting underway as Vladimir Putin set to win fourth term

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