Côte d'Ivoire Politics Gbagbo "coup" in Côte d'Ivoire
The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) yesterday, after much delay and a two-day blockade by President Gbagbo's followers, finally published the results of Sunday's run-off elections in Côte d'Ivoire. Opposition leader Ouattara was declared the winner, receiving 54.1 percent of the votes.
Opposition sources rather speak of "a coup" by Mr Gbagbo and his allies at the Constitutional Council. It was questioned how the Council could have assessed the entire count in such a short time and reached a figure of "51 percent" of the votes for the incumbent. There were also demands from the Ouattara camp for the UN to interfere and to prevent the "coup". The UN currently has over 9,000 peacekeepers stationed in Côte d'Ivoire. Also Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, leader of the former rebel Forces Nouvelles still controlling the northern half of the country, insisted on a UN intervention and offered the world body the last word in the conflict between the CEI and the Council. Statements by Mr Soro and aides of Mr Ouattara indicate there may be a growing risk of a renewed north-south civil war in Côte d'Ivoire if the "coup" by Mr Gbagbo is carried out. President Gbagbo's government meanwhile has taken several steps to secure his grip on power. All borders have been closed, the country's airspace is sealed off and foreign broadcast media, including RFI and BBC, have been taken off the air. By staff writer © afrol News - Create an e-mail alert for Côte d'Ivoire news - Create an e-mail alert for Politics news
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