Ivorian Constitutional Council overturns run-off results, declares president Gbagbo as winner

[News_Editor]

Ivorian Constitutional Council overturns run-off results, declares president Gbagbo as winner

2010-12-04 04:32:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

ABIDJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE (BNO NEWS) -- Côte d'Ivoire's Constitutional Council on Friday overturned Sunday's run-off results and declares incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo as winner.

The results dramatically changed as on Thursday the country’s electoral commission said that Gbagbo received 46 percent of votes while opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara got 54 percent.

On Friday, the council overturned the provisional results and informed that Gbagbo won 51 percent of the votes as Ouattara only 49 percent. The outcome changed as the council annulled results in seven regions.

The United Nations mission in the country reported on Friday that it validated and recognized the victory of Ouattara as announced by the Independent Electoral Commission. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged citizens and politicians ton accept the results.

However, Gbagbo said that he will challenge the results of the election process over fraud allegations from the opposition. Gbagbo also vowed for the annulment of votes in four regions. In contrast, Ouattara declared himself as president-elect defying the council’s announcement.

"I am the elected president of the Republic of Ivory Coast," Ouattara said in a news conference. "I ask all the institutions, notably the armed forces, the gendarmerie and the police, to uphold their mission to protect people and property on all national territory."

The UN did not recognize Gbagbo as winner either. Mission chief Choi said that the results of the election did not change and confirmed Ouattara as victorious.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-04