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Gbagbo party quits Ivory Coast election commission

22 September 2011 03:55 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The party of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo said it has pulled out of Ivory Coast’s election commission, which is preparing December polls aimed at normalising the country after a deadly political crisis, APA reports quoting news.yahoo.com webste.

The Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) "is suspending its participation in all activities of the Independent Election Commission," party secretary general Laurent Akoun said in a letter to the body’s president Youssouf Bakayoko, dated Tuesday and released to the media on Wednesday.

The opposition party denounced the regime of President Alassane Ouattara, in power since May, and its refusal to engage in dialogue on security, the composition of the electoral body and more generally the preparations for the legislative election, to be held by mid-December.

Ivory Coast was plunged into a deadly political crisis after Gbagbo refused to accept defeat after a November election. As world leaders urged him to stand down, several prominent conservative Christians, notably in the US, remained supportive.

In April, Gbagbo was pried from power and arrested by fighters loyal to his rival Ouattara, who is a Muslim.

Ouattara has promised domestic prosecutions against Gbagbo for his role in provoking post-election clashes that left some 3,000 dead.

Previously his FPI had been in power for 10 years.