Ivory Coast May Postpone Elections Yet Again

Ivory Coast’s long awaited presidential elections may be postponed yet again, a top member of the country’s electoral commission has hinted. According to the commissioner, who sought anonymity, political parties and candidates had agreed with the election commission that it was necessary to delay the vote, which were scheduled to take place on November 30. The electoral commission’s deputy head Jean-Baptiste Gommi has confirmed that a decision to postpone the election will be formally announced next week, after the country’s voter registration exercise is completed. The presidential elections, which have been postponed severally, are expected to end hostilities that have divided the Ivory Coast into a rebel-controlled north and a government-controlled south. Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and rebel leader Guillaume Soro signed a 2007 peace deal with an agreement to hold the presidential polls.[PE]