Ivorian Leaders Back November 30 Presidential Poll Date

Key Ivorian leaders and electoral officials have backed the choice of November 30 as the date for a repeatedly delayed presidential vote. President Laurent Gbagbo, Opposition leader Alassane Ouattara and Electoral chief Beugre Mambe assured a visiting UN Security Council delegation Monday that they were determined to hold the elections, which were initially scheduled for October 2005 but kept getting delayed in order to dissipate the aftermath of the country’s 2002-2005 civil war. [P.E]