Ivory Coast is voting in a presidential election, with incumbent and strong favourite Alassane Ouattara, 83, claiming credit for almost 15 years of economic growth and relative stability while hinting it will be his final campaign.

A former international banker and deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Ouattara took power in 2011 after a four-month civil war that killed some 3000 people.

The war was triggered by his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to acknowledge defeat in the 2010 election.

More than eight million people are registered to vote on Saturday.

Polling stations close at 6pm local time (1800 GMT), with provisional results expected within five days.

A runoff will be held if no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote.

Gbagbo and Tidjane T

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