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EU foreign policy chief welcomes high turnout in Ivorian elections

03 November 2010 01:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. European Union (EU) welcomes the high turnout in elections held in Cote dâ€™Ivoire, the blocâ€™s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said here on Tuesday, APA reports quoting news.xinhuanet.com website.

"Iâ€™m glad to see the high sense of responsibility displayed by Ivorian voters who massively and peacefully went to the poll on the occasion of the first round of presidential election," Ashton, high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, declared on Tuesday.

"These elections are a fundamental step towards the end of the crisis as well as an important element in the consolidation of Ivorian democracy," she added.

The EU, which attaches great importance to the electoral process in Cote dâ€™Ivoire, decided earlier this year to grant a technical and financial aid amounting to 40 million euros (around 55 million U.S. dollars), and set up an Independent Electoral Observation Mission to make sure the electoral process goes smoothly in the African country.

"I call on candidates, authorities and the independent electoral Commission to show responsibility, to guarantee transparent election process and to respect the choice of Ivorian voters," Ashton said.

The high representative called on the Constitutional Council to ensure final results are known rapidly. She also paid tribute to Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore for his determined and decisive action" in the electoral process.

Cote dâ€™Ivoire held presidential ballot on Sunday for the first time since the 2002 civil war and registered a historic turnout rate of 80 percents.