4 December 2010 Last updated at 02:39
[size=14pt]World leaders back Ouattara as Ivory Coast poll winner [/size]
Mr Ouattara said the Council's action was damaging the country's image . . .

World leaders have voiced their support for Ivory Coast opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara, saying he is the true winner of a presidential run-off.

The country's Constitutional Council has overturned results to declare President Laurent Gbagbo the winner - he is due to be sworn in shortly.

The US, UN, France and the West African bloc Ecowas have urged Mr Gbagbo to accept defeat.

The poll was intended to reunify the country after a civil war in 2002.

Prime Minister Guillaume Soro warned the overturning of the results threatened to derail attempts to stabilise and re-unify the country.

On Thursday, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared that Mr Ouattara had won the 28 November run-off by 54.1% to 45.9%.

But after Mr Gbagbo and his supporters alleged the ballot had been fraudulent, the Constitutional Council overruled the Commission.

Chairman Paul Yao N'Dre said Mr Gbagbo had secured just over 51% of the vote.

Ivorian state media said Mr Gbagbo would be sworn in at a midday ceremony on Saturday.

'Held to account'

US President Barack Obama has rejected the council's decision, . .
The council decision is likely to cause considerable unrest because of the widely accepted view here and among the international community that Alassane Ouattara won the vote.

The head of the council is a key ally of Laurent Gbagbo, and the two go back to the early days of his Ivorian Popular Front party.

All eyes now turn to the nearly 10,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission which has an official mandate in certifying these election results.

At the luxury Golf hotel in the Rivieria area of Abidjan UN tanks protected the building where Mr Ouattara and the electoral commissioner are thought to be sheltering.
"Independent Electoral Commission, credible and accredited observers and the United Nations have all confirmed this result and attested to its credibility," he said.

He congratulated Mr Ouattara and said the international community would "hold those who act to thwart the democratic process and the will of the electorate accountable for their actions".

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France - the former colonial power in Ivory Coast - told Mr Gbagbo to "respect the will of the people, abstain from any action that might provoke violence" and to help establish peace.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier called on Mr Gbagbo "to do his part for the good of the country and to cooperate in a smooth political transition".

The chairman of regional bloc Ecowas, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, said all parties should "respect and fully implement the verdict of the Ivorian people as declared by the Independent Electoral Commission".

The head of the UN mission in Ivory Coast also said it regarded Mr Ouattara as the winner, while the African Union said it was "deeply concerned" by the developments.

Mr Ouattara told reporters on Thursday evening: "I am the elected president of the Republic of Ivory Coast."

"The Constitutional Council has abused its authority, the whole world knows it, and I am sorry for my country's image," he said.
. . .
On Tuesday, Mr Gbagbo's representative in the IEC tore up the first batch of results as the commission's spokesman was about to announce them.

The IEC head, Youssouf Bakayok, then went ahead with an announcement on Thursday, speaking under armed guard at a hotel rather than from the commission's headquarters, declaring Mr Ouattara the winner with 54% of ballots cast.

Not long afterwards, Mr N'Dre said that, as the announcement had come after Wednesday's legal deadline, those results were "null and void".

The presidential poll was intended to reunify the world's largest cocoa producer after a civil war in 2002.

The two candidates represent the two sides of the north-south divide that exists religiously, culturally and administratively, with the northern half still controlled in part by the former rebels.

In a statement, the country's Prime Minster Guillaume Soro said the voiding of votes "threatens the ideal of reunifying the country".

The BBC's John James in Abidjan, the country's main city, says the Constitutional Council's decision has come as a shock to many, especially the opposition.

Youths from the opposing camps took to the streets in Abidjan and other towns, throwing stones and burning tyres.

The military has closed the borders and international news sources are suspended. An overnight curfew is in place.

Both the army and UN peacekeepers have been patrolling the streets of Abidjan since Sunday.

At least four people have been killed in election-related clashes in Abidjan this week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11917359

It's a shame the Southerners don't want to abide by the election's result. Mr Quattara is amply qualified for the post and rejecting his victory will simply plunge the country back into violence.

This is what may happen in Nigeria come 2011

If they cant live together, they should split up jare. Na by force to accept colonial contraption?

Ibime:

If they cant live together, they should split up jare. Na by force to accept colonial contraption?

Nigeria comes to mind. . . .

Gbagbo was sworn in earlier today, now Ouattara has just been sworn in as well. The stage is set for another round of the familiar ugliness.

I tink anoda power sharing deal is about 2 take place.

Democracy doesn't work in Africa the vote always breaks down completely on tribal/religious divides Ouattara Senufo Muslim from the North and Gbagbo Bete Christian from the South Africa was better off ruled by colonialism

Quoting 4play

It's a shame the Southerners don't want to abide by the election's result. Mr Quattara is amply qualified for the post and rejecting his victory will simply plunge the country back into violence.

It's not as simple as this, i was in an ivorian forum where even a northern ivorian said he they was massive rigging up north with backing from neighbouring  country(Burkina Faso and Mali) who are france proxies. Now Gbagbo who is an anti foreign interventionist has been leader for the past eight years and may be leaning east (china). The french and the west do not want to lose their pearl that is why they are backing ex IMF economist Quattara and have even been openly supporting rebel group fighting Gbagbo for the past 8 years. Another issue why Gbagbo would not step down is because the west are fond of punishing leaders that willingly step aside after conflict in Africa, e.g. Charles Tarloy, while guys like Kibaki and Mugabe who sit tight after losing would get power sharing deals. If I was Gbagbo i guess I would gamble a power sharing deal than definantly work into the ICC where france would send himif he steps down, The UN has set a wrong precedence.

superboi, thanks for clarifying the situation for us.

I was always suspicious the minute I learnt that the western countries support Outarra. Your clarification has confirmed my suspicions as well-founded.

Gbagbo is the legitimate leader of Ivory Coast and must NOT allow himself to be pushed aside by the western, IMF stooge, Outarra.

Ouattara is backed by french President Sarkosy and we have to remember that the French Army opened fire and killed 120 Ivorian citizens attempting a peaceful protest in Abidjan on 25-26 March 2004.

^
At the time, the French and the World were on Gbagbo's side. You guy's shouldn't make a despot look the victim.
When Gbagbo fled into exile in the past, it was to France too.

It is worth reading up a bit on Ivorian history and then you'll see that Gbagbo has always been highly controversial. In the past, he has knocked out Ouatarra with the claim that the majority of Northerners (including Ouatarra) are not Ivorian enough to vote or participate in elections. Thats the Ivorian version of apartheid for you.

Faeb please get your facts right it was Bedie who is now Quattara ally that barred him from ruuning in 1996 claiming that he is from burkinabe and not because he is a Northern, and in fact he he family has roots in Burkinabe and he was born there in Sindou, Burkina Faso. I do not support any of this guys Bedie, Gbagbo or Quattara (the are all above 65 yrs age of a generation of african spoilt children that spoilt africa), they are fighting for their own pockets and their own masters.

Faeb:

^
At the time, the French and the World were on Gbagbo's side. You guy's shouldn't make a despot look the victim.
When Gbagbo fled into exile in the past, it was to France too.

It is worth reading up a bit on Ivorian history and then you'll see that Gbagbo has always been highly controversial. In the past, he has knocked out Ouatarra with the claim that the majority of Northerners (including Ouatarra) are not Ivorian enough to vote or participate in elections. Thats the Ivorian version of apartheid for you.

Get your fact right. The french army (La Licorne) massacred 120 Pro-Gbagbo peacefull protesters. It was an anti-french protest. The protesters were in front of the Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan to suport and protect Gbagbo because the french army wanted to attack the presidential palace, and the french suffered a deadly air raid from the Ivorian Air Force (9 dead and 34 wounded).

Horus:

Get your fact right. The french army (La Licorne) massacred 120 Pro-Gbagbo peacefull protesters. It was an anti-french protest. The protesters were in front of the Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan to suport and protect Gbagbo because the french army wanted to attack the presidential palace, and the french suffered a deadly air raid from the Ivorian Air Force (9 dead and 34 wounded).

You have a mix up. It was Gbagbo that killed the 120 opposition supporters and it had nothing to do with the bombing of French troops at Bouake (which led France to destroy the Ivorian airforce).

The United Nations conducted an investigation into the events of the March 2005 demonstration and in early May 2005 the report leaked through the French media. The UN report stated that "At least 120 people were killed, 274 wounded and 20 disappeared. These figures are by no means final." The report also accused the army and pro-Gbagbo militias of attacking citizens indiscriminately and unprovoked. The Government responded by accusing the UN of encouraging instability in the country by releasing such an irresponsible and unfair assessment. The student groups also staged a series of protests against the report.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/ivory-coast-2004.htm

They were not opposition supporters they were protecting Gbagbo against the french. There is a video on youtube about this massacre. It is the french army (La Licorne) who massacred the protesters. And I never said that the massacre have something to do with the air raid. Your so called report is in fact coming from the french media who got it from the french army report "version", those that massacred the protestors who supported Gbago.

^
The United Nations has never denied the report. Gbagbo has always had a tendency to criminal behaviour and has killed thousands of his own people to remain in power. His 5 year term ended 5 years ago, but he is still there somehow. The guy is just another horrible despot and cold blooded murderer.

Faeb:

^
The United Nations has never denied the report.

And? The UN backed the french army and it the french soldiers that you see on the video killing the innocents who supported Gbago in front of Hotel Ivoire. Did you saw the video of the massacre on youtube?, yes or no?
I dont support any of the 2 presidents, but people have to know that it is the Licorne (frenchs) who killed the supporters.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohP8xI8B0jY

^
You are right. I looked at other videos (I'm not a youtube member, so can't sign in to see graphic content) and read some articles. The French unleashed a volley of fire at a harmless crowd. Terrible.

^^^ The French troops did shoot at the crowd, but that was at a time violent "crowds" loyal to Gbabo were on the rampage in Abidjan seeking out anything French (civilians and businesses) to burn and destroy in retaliation to the French military's destruction of the Ivorien Air Force - which was done in retaliation to the killing of eight French soldiers by the Ivorien air force at a time a cease fire was in place. Those were the same crowds that took on the French soldiers at the urging of Ggagbo's camp. Gbagbo did not need any protection from French soldiers since the same French soldiers had protected government troops in the past.

superboi:

Faeb please get your facts right it was Bedie who is now Quattara ally that barred him from ruuning in 1996 claiming that he is from burkinabe and not because he is a Northern, and in fact he he family has roots in Burkinabe and he was born there in  Sindou, Burkina Faso. I do not support any of this guys Bedie, Gbagbo or Quattara (the are all above 65 yrs age of a generation of african spoilt children that spoilt africa), they are fighting for their own pockets and their own masters.

Right, Bedie is the author of the problems that have coalesced to get Ivory Coast into the mess it is today with his policy of Ivorite. But you need to recall that once General Guei got into power he continued the policy just so he could exclude Quatarra and have a smooth ride in his self-succession bid. And when Gbagbo, the lunatic, came to power after the main gladiators fought themselves out of it, he had the same fear of Quatarra and so urged on by his allies and his powerful wife, Simone, he desperately tried to continue the neo-apartheid policy.

It will be interesting to see how this ends. Unfortunately Gbagbo does not give a hoot what happens to the country as long as he remains in power. Bear in mind also that he is hostage to vested groups within and outside the military who are pushing push him on.

When I heard Mbeki had been appointed by the AU my mind went to Zimbabwe and Kenya - another "power sharing" arrangement. In my opinion, Mbeki is a consensus builder, particularly a peace-of-the-graveyard exponent. If I were Quatarra, I would not accept any power sharing arrangement that lets Gbagbo remain president since (i) these power sharing governments are divided governments which don't work, (ii) as implemented in Zimbabwe and Kenya, they reward the rogue who loses an election and refuses to go. He should instead consider the Ravalomanana option - declaring himself president and staying put until the other guy reads the writing on the wall and is forced to give it up. This is a plausible option since a government that is not recognised by the United States will find it hard to access the country's foreign reserves. But I realise this won't be as easy as it was for Ravalomanana, the difference being that the military in Madagascar was professional and neutral during the standoff between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana.

But let's see what Mbeki puts on the table. The people of Ivory Coast . . .

MYJOE I agree with you, I don't support that power sharing thing, it's a fraud both parties have good reason not to perform and the people that suffer is the Masses. The UN should have never supported this formular in Kenya and Zimbabwe as half justice is no justice and that what this power sharing phenomena is. Now you can bet that any africa leader (power block) that losses an election will just unturn it and cause some disruptions, knowing he would be offered a power sharing deal. Another reason why this leaders wouldn't want to leave is that the WEST is now using the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a tool of vengeance against Africa leaders the don't dance to their tunes. As much as I Hate Charles Tarloy( I lost people I knew to his ruthlessness) I think since he willingly left power he would have just been left in exile. Now seeing the fate of charles Tarloy, people like Mugabe and Gbagbo(who troop killed french troops who were supporting rebels) rather the whole zimbabwe and Ivory Cost burn than for them to resign to be handed over to the ICC.

^^^ I agree with you on the power sharing thing. But on the issue of ICC. . .

My sympathies are always with oppressed people, not their oppressors. Africa and the world has seen too many leaders who die without being brought to book, their hands soaked in blood – from Pol Pot to Idi Amin.

If you don’t realise the need for an ICC I suggest you seek out and take a look at the documentaries “Cry Freetown” (Sierra Leone) and “Sand and Sorrow” (Sudan). The argument that the ICC is meant to witch-hunt African leaders is not really sustainable. Article 17 paragraph 1 of the Statute of Rome, which sets up the ICC, is unequivocal that the ICC should only come into a matter when concerned states are unwilling or unable to prosecute.  That is a fashionable allegation, anyway. Not that I know what the West is supposed to gain from prosecuting “African leaders”, spending their taxpayers’ money in doing so.

I concede that giving up power on the part of Charles Taylor was commendable - he probably read the writing on the wall as the Lurd and Model rebels were close on his heels, anyway. But he could have tried to stay on like Samuel Doe and extend the blood bath, so, at least, he has something good to remember himself by on his dying day. Bear in mind, still, that the Accra negotiations that led him to agree to step down and go into exile in Nigeria covered events in Liberia. My view is that those negotiations were respected since he was arrested for other matters – Sierra Leone. But consider the man’s atrocities: he was the first man to recruit and use child soldiers in West Africa. Many of those kids were made to take drugs and do terrible things, some are reported to have killed their own parents. And how about people whose hands were chopped off in Sierra Leone by people armed and supported by Charles Taylor?

If anyone wants to argue that there would have been no Charles Taylor without a Samuel Doe or that bad things happen in every war, those would be true. But I will say that the manner your conduct your war and the life you lead reveals your motive. I am not a pacifist and there have been rebel leaders I respect. Joseph Kony isn’t fighting to liberate anyone. Neither was Taylor.

I have no tear for the likes of Taylor (who, by the way, is being tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone and not the ICC). I had tears for Sam Hinga Norman the Sierra Leonean hero who died in the custody of the Special Court. But that, unfortunately, is how justice systems work, be they national or international – the stone is lifted and whatever is found under is smashed.

Africa does not have a record of prosecuting its monsters – and there have been many of them. Mengistu is still living a free man in “exile” at Mugabeland right here on the continent. Hissene Habre massacred and tortured thousands of his own people in Chad. Where is he today? Has Senegal made good on its promise to put him on trial? Are they not going back and forth, later asking the same Europe they refused to extradite him to to provide them 27 million euros to try him? So should impunity continue to reign? If you learn the atrocities that took place in Southern Sudan and then Darfur, I believe you will crave an ICC to arrest Omar Hell Bashir today and get his blood-soaked hands off state business. There is no one indicted by the ICC whose hands are not dripping blood. Not one.

We cannot remove the ICC just to encourage the bad guys to give up power. That’s simplistic. And it won’t work. Punishment for crime is thought to deter criminals. We don’t remove them to encourage criminals to come out or give up their positions. If there was no ICC there ought to be other mechanisms of prosecuting these guys. It there was no ICC we ought to create one. In any case, it is not because of ICC that the likes of Mugabe or Kibaki or Gbagbo or Obasanjo rig elections. The ICC is not investigating anyone of these people. It is not because of the absence of ICC that the likes of Kufuor organized free and fair elections, that the likes of Mbeki gave up power when asked to do so with just a sign. As for those who have been indicted by international courts, Taylor, Kony, Hell Bashir and the others, I will need some convincing that they are being persecuted for not dancing to the West’s tunes.

But what you say may end up being a prophecy. Yesterday Liberian intelligence revealed that Gbagbo has made contact with ex-warlords in that country – must be his boys in Model. Now, Moreno- Ocampo, the ICC chief prosecutor, must be putting some effort into mastering the correct pronunciation of Gbagbo. Just in case.

zubeyr:

Democracy doesn't work in Africa the vote always breaks down completely on tribal/religious divides Ouattara Senufo Muslim from the North and Gbagbo Bete Christian from the South Africa was better off ruled by colonialism

Gbam!!!

Maybe what we should do is tsop copying the west for once and find a system of governance that suits our culture!

^^^ What would you propose, please?

What do you think? African love to be led and not governed!

Maybe we should lean toward aristocracy, disctatorship and the likes!

Ujujoan:

Gbam!!!

Maybe what we should do is tsop copying the west for once and find a system of governance that suits our culture!

Ridiculous - so it is in 'our culture' to be deceitful?

Reports say Ouattara won the election, while Gbagbo went through the back door to get votes cancelled. What does culture have to do with counting votes honestly and declaring a winner?

It's thinking like this that plays into the hands of riggers.

I'm just saying that democracy has never really worked in most African countries . . . why would it when it's an inherited culture?

Maybe if we didn't try to copy the whites so much, we'll be able to figure out the kind of government taht works for us. I'm speaking generally of course.

MYJOE, I felt that Charles Tarloy would have been captured in battle but once he turned himself in when he could still fight and with a "strong regional power" Nigeria granting him assylum and later giving him up was not fair play on the part of the international community. This is different from a guy like karadzic who ran away and went into hiding or Saddam who was caught in "combat". What the arrest of Charles Tarloy simply told future tyrants is fight till the end and take as many people as you. Now Ecowas can't really tell Gbagbo jack cause he saw what they did to Tarloy, at this point Gbagbo, If am Gbagbo would stay on hope to get a joint presidency or fight on because once he leave that sit the french are going to gun for his neck. Please NB: I do no support Gbagbo but what i do not like is the short sighted and reflexsive action the UN has been taking lately that can only lead to more trouble.

Why do Africans have a hard time relinquishing power? Power at all cost.

Africans never learn.

superboi:

MYJOE, I felt that Charles Tarloy would have been captured in battle but once he turned himself in when he could still fight and with a "strong regional power" Nigeria granting him assylum and later giving him up was not fair play on the part of the international community. This is different from a guy like karadzic who ran away and went into hiding or Saddam who was caught in "combat". What the arrest of Charles Tarloy simply told future tyrants is fight till the end and take as many people as you. Now Ecowas can't really tell Gbagbo jack cause he saw what they did to Tarloy, at this point Gbagbo, If am Gbagbo would stay on hope to get a joint presidency or fight on because once he leave that sit the french are going to gun for his neck. Please NB: I do no support Gbagbo but what i do not like is the short sighted and reflexsive action the UN has been taking lately that can only lead to more trouble.

So we should leave Murderers to go scotch free? No, what nigeria did to Charles was very Uncalled for and most repungnant, But to say that we should let the likes of Gbagbo to sit tight on Power does nobody any good. Quattara is very Much an ivorian since he was once their PM, If we have a country like the US where people Like Swanegger can be Gorvonor then why should a slowpoke like gbagbo be clinging to power because someone from the North of his country has won? If he fears Oppression what had he done to prevent such, or is it because he was also an oppressor? The UN and ECOWAS must approach this matter with wisdom and tact. But Gbagbo days are definately Number as President and so many actions can be taken against him.

Vedaxcool, Who is not a Murderer or a law breaker? Please leave that thing? It is because Gbagbo did not do their bidding that they want him out and and want their boy Quattara in. Quattara has been even linked with the Rebel movement in that country since 2002 ( with burkinabe Campore as main supplier/France arm) in the whole war so he is not clean. What am saying is that If Quattra or Odinga or Changairai felt that they lost elections and they really love their country and want it to grow they have two options on is
a. To embark on civil protest and demostrations (this can only be effective if you have real support)
b. To go to court like AC has been doing( this is only possible if you have hard core evidence and support)
To go and invite foreign countries to take power over in your country will only make you subservant to them and not your people and to plea bargain a power sharing deal is only to help increase corruption that this opposition guys are always claiming to be challenging. Democracy is not a easy march especially in a place like Africa with cultures that do not help promote it. In a place like Nigeria that we are slowly and surely making progress because of different people having faith in a corrupt legal system, the system has started working by force, look at the south west!! 5 years ago nobody would have believed that the courts can do what it has done there, but because the oppposition politicians believed in the courts even when it was corrupt they(courts) had no choice but to change( The bible a great book said, faith moves mountain) . That is what true oppositions with intrest of their people at heart should do not stay in one fancy hotel and hold press confernce with BBC,CNN et al and expect UN to swear them in.