Ivory Coast elections set for run-off

  1. Posted on Thursday 4 November 2010 - 09:30
    KingsleyKobo
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    Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
    Ivorians heaved a sigh of relief Wednesday night after the electoral commission, CEI, released the total results from Sunday's presidential election judged free and fair by some 10,000 international observers. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo scored 38.03% votes slimly ahead of former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara who raked 32.08%.
    Ivory Coast: Gbagbo, Ouattara on for a run off
    Ex-President Henri Konan Bédié finished in third position with 25.24% of the votes.

    The three principal candidates largely outran the other 11, leaving the fourth candidate Dr. Mabri Touakeuse at 2.10%. The only female candidate Jacklyn Oble, a law professor, scored 0.26 % finishing 7th.

    With no candidate clinching the maximum 51% for a straight win, a runoff will definitely hold between the top two finishers Gbagbo and Ouattara, which the electoral candidate has scheduled for Nov.28.

    Disappointment

    Many of Gbagbo’s supporters were disappointed with the results which did not give their candidate an outright win, and they are wary of a likely alliance between Ouattara and Bédié who both earlier on signed a deal to support whoever reached the second round.

    Bédié, although out of the run off race, won a significant percentage of 25.24, which if added to Ouattara’s hold from the first round, would crush Gbagbo eventually.

    But the big question many observers are asking is whether Bédié’s supporters, mostly from the Baoulé tribe of the south central regions and mainly Christians, would vote for Ouattara – a northern Muslim accused of being behind the northern rebels and having origins of Burkina Faso.

    However, Bédié told France 24 TV a week ago that his “militants would likely vote for Ouattara if he reaches the second round, because we’re all political descendants of Felix Houphouet Boigny (late former president who is still idolized by many in Ivory Coast).”

    Graveyard city

    Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan was a graveyard hours before and after the proclamation of the official results by the CEI chairman Youssouf Bakayoko on state TV RTI.

    On one hand, President Gbagbo’s supporters were feeling bad for falling short of winning in the first round. Ouattara supporters were scared of celebrating too soon not to arouse the anger of their rivals.

    Bédié’s supporters, although downhearted for their candidate’s not making it to the second round, were not as unhappy as Gbagbo’s militants.

    However, the city of Abidjan and the rest of the country will surely return to normal by Thursday.

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