Ivory Coast tension persists

Ivory Coast: Alassane Ouattara, considered President of Ivory Coast, received the United Nations representatives and the diplomatic corps credited in an hotel here yesterday, while the political tension persists.

Although Ouattara carries out such activities, the proclaimed leader Laurent Gbagbo, who remains in the Presidential Palace, and in a reception on Wednesday requested the population to stay calm and and not to worry, as with time the peoples’ eyes will be opened.

Prefects of departments in which the Constitutional Council annulled the votes favourable to Ouattara signed a document in which they stress that the elections were carried out with normality in their districts.

The officials reject the argument of Gbagbo that fraud was committed in the scrutiny, the result of which was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission that gave Ouattara the victory in the second electoral round, with 54.1 percent of the votes.

In spite of the threat of civil war, this city is much livelier, some institutions and schools reopened their doors, as well as many trading houses and several establishments of the public administration.

Abidjan, Prensa Latina