20101105
africanews

Ivory Coast's former President Henri Konan Bédié, who with 25.24% vote finished third behind incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo (38.03%) and ex-Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara (32.08%) in Sunday's presidential election, released a statement on Thursday calling for a ballot recount after accusing the election commission (CEI) of "electoral robbery".

Ivory Coast: Ex-president Bédié contests poll results
The statement said the CEI intentionally barred representatives of political parties from observing the counting and tallying process as stipulated in a signed agreement between the CEI and political parties. The EU observers had also denounced this situation a day ago.

The statement added that Bédié had been in good position as results trickled down from some 22,000 centres, and could have finished in the top two if there had been enough transparency.

In the name of his party PDCI, Bédié called on the CEI to proceed on a recount before the run-off scheduled for Nov.28.

Constitutionally, unsatisfied candidates have up to three days to file their complaints, which will be examined by the constitutional court before the validation of the results.

Hundreds of Bédié’s sympathisers demonstrated in front of their party’s headquarters in Cocody, Abidjan by midmorning on Thursday, blocking the main road with tires and planks, and chanting, “Gbagbo stole our vote, we want a recount, CEI chairman must resign.”

The United Nations Security Council said Thursday in a statement that although there were minor irregularities during Sunday’s poll, it was globally free and fair, and called on all parties to accept the verdict of the election commission.

Abidjan and Yamoussoukro (capital) were relatively normal on Thursday, with stores, taxis, buses, banks and schools functioning.