Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo was to be sworn in for a new term today even though the United Nations and others maintain his opponent won the disputed election that was the West African nation’s first since a civil war.
Thousands gathered at the presidential palace for the ceremony, which comes just a day after one of Gbagbo’s allies went on state television to overturn previously announced results that showed opposition leader Alassane Ouattara had won.
US President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy say Ouattara’s victory must be acknowledged. The top UN official in Ivory Coast is also standing by the earlier results putting Ouattara ahead.
“The international community will hold those who act to thwart the democratic process and the will of the electorate accountable for their actions,” Obama warned.
Ivory Coast’s presidential election was meant to restore stability after a brief 2002—2003 civil war destroyed the economy of one of the most affluent countries in Africa.
Instead, the election is casting a growing shadow as it becomes increasingly clear that Gbagbo is unwilling to step down.
Friday’s announcement sparked violent protests in Ivory Coast’s main city, Abidjan. Today, Ouattara supporters once again took to the streets, burning tires and a table in one neighbourhood.
Gbagbo’s five—year mandate expired in 2005 and the country’s first election in a decade was delayed multiple times. He claimed first that the West African country was too volatile and that security could not be assured. He later cited technicalities like the composition of the voter roll.
The election went ahead in October but headed to a runoff vote, and the country’s election commission announced Thursday that Ouattara had won. However, new results released yesterday on national television by a Gbagbo loyalist said that the incumbent president had in fact been re—elected.
The new figures put Gbagbo on top with more than 51 per cent of the vote by chucking out some 500,000 ballots from Ouattara strongholds, representing almost a tenth of all the ballots cast.
Those results were broadcast in a continuous loop on TV and on radio stations throughout the country. The figures were immediately rejected by the United Nations, which is responsible for certifying the final results and which held a news conference to reiterate that Ouattara had won
