Ivory Coast election crisis deepens

Ivory Coast’s political crisis deepened as the constitutional council declared incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo the winner of the disputed election, reversing the outcome backed by independent observers and raising fears of violence.

The new results released on Friday on national television by a Gbagbo loyalist came as foreign TV and radio were taken off the air, blocking the earlier announcement by the country’s election tsar.

Those results – which were considered credible by the African Union, the United Nations (UN) and the United States – gave opposition leader Alassane Ouattara 54.1% of the vote, compared to 45.9% for Mr Gbagbo.

The new figures putting Mr Gbagbo on top with over 51% of the vote were broadcast in a continuous loop on TV and on radio stations throughout the country, even though the results were immediately rejected by the UN, which is responsible for certifying the final results and which held a press conference to reiterate that Mr Ouattara had won.

The comments by the top UN official in the country, Young-Jin Choi, as well as those by Mr Ouattara, who proclaimed himself a winner at a press conference, were not broadcast locally. They were only carried on foreign channels that citizens could only access if they have satellite TV. Text messaging was also cut off, making it still more difficult for Ivorians to get a complete picture of events.

US President Barack Obama also weighed in by congratulating Mr Ouattara, and telling Mr Gbagbo to acknowledge the election results certified by the UN. “The international community will hold those who act to thwart the democratic process and the will of the electorate accountable for their actions” Mr Obama said.

As soon as the constitutional council declared Mr Gbabgo the victor, angry youths took to the streets, burning tires, and pulling down kiosks and billboards.

The presidential election was meant to restore stability after a civil war erupted in 2002, destroying the economy of one of the most affluent countries in Africa. Instead the election is now casting a growing shadow as it becomes increasingly clear that Mr Gbagbo is unwilling to step aside.

The head of the constitutional council Paul Yao N’Dre said on state TV that the council was invalidating results from seven of the nation’s 19 voting regions because of evidence that pro-Gbagbo voters were intimidated by mobs. The new figures put Mr Gbagbo on top by chucking out some 500,000 ballots from Ouattara strongholds, representing almost a tenth of all the ballots cast. He also said the election commission had lost its authority to proclaim results because they had missed a Wednesday deadline to announce the figures.

The country’s constitution gives the council the final word on the outcome of the vote, but a 2007 peace deal signed by Mr Gbagbo said the United Nations would also need to certify the results. Mr Choi made clear that the UN was standing by the earlier results putting Mr Ouattara ahead.