Côte D'ivoire - Local government

Côte d'Ivoire is divided into 18 regions, 58 departments, and 196 communes, each headed by an elected mayor, plus the city of Abidjan with 10 mayors. A process of decentralization began in 1977, and has been regarded as the most thoroughgoing and effective in Francophone Africa. In the March 2001 local elections, the RDR gained control of the largest number of communes (64), followed by the PDCI (58), and the FPI (34). Thirty-eight went to independent candidates. In July 2002, the FPI and PDCI each won 18 of the 58 departments.