Fourteen candidates including incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo are running for an election dubbed by the local and international media as “historic”, because it is hoped to put an end to a decade of crisis and the division of the country by a rebellion.

Giant posters of the three principal candidates – President Gbagbo, former President Henri Konan Bédié and former Prime Minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara – have plastered the economic capital Abidjan, highlighting the campaign slogans of their respective parties.

Gbagbo launched his campaign from the western city of Man, home to former military leader Robert Guei assassinated on September 19, 2002 – the day the foiled coup d’état began its degeneration into an unending civil war.

While Ouattara, popularly known as ADO and often accused by pro-government supporters as the underground sponsor of the New Forces (FN) - the rebel group that has controlled the north since 2002 – debuted his campaign with a mega concert in Abidjan on Friday afternoon.

Bédié did not schedule any rallies for Friday, although he says he has been campaigning for change since two years.

Oble Jacqueline, independent candidate and only female out of a field of 14, chose to start her campaign at Grand Bassam, a coastal and historic city on the outskirts of Abidjan.

Great suffering

“The three big candidates have caused Ivorians great suffering over the past 10 years,” she told a cheering crowd. “Voting for one against the two others will perpetuate the ego and clannish teaser. I am here to separate these men and bring long-lasting peace and harmony to Ivory Coast.”

Across the streets of Abidjan and Yamoussoukro – political capital – sympathisers can be seen wearing T-shirts, plastic hand bands and caps of their favourite candidates. Personal and transport vehicles are pasted with colourful affiche and stickers, some honking their horns each time they move close to a crowd.

The general mood is excitingly feverish although observers expect it to intensify towards Election Day, but no cause of any major incident is foreseeable.

During their first day outing, Gbagbo and Alassane displayed some sensational dance steps on the podium of their rallies, which Maria Kouadio, a 43-year-old food seller in Abobo, Abidjan, interprets as a good sign for the rest of the campaign.

“If each of them can dance to the joy of the population like this, then peace has truly returned to this country that has long suffered. This is a good sign that the campaigns and the elections will be void of troubles,” Kouadio said.