Ivory Coast Lawmakers Name Ex-PM Achi as Parliament Speaker

Ivory Coast lawmakers elected a former prime minister from Alassane Ouattara’s ruling party as speaker of parliament, nearly a month after legislative elections held in late December.

Patrick Achi got 85% of the votes cast by the 253 lawmakers present during the new chamber’s first session on Saturday in the commercial capital, Abidjan. The assembly is dominated by Ouattara’s ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace.