20101108
africanews

Ivory Coast ex-President Henri Konan Bédié who finished third with 25% vote, called on his supporters and sympathisers to vote for Alassane Ouattara, former Prime Minister and candidate to face off against incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo in a second round run-off slated for Nov.21.

Bédié and the RHDP – an opposition coalition composed of Bédié’s PDCI party, Ouatarra’s RDR, Mabri’s UDPCI and Anaky’s MFA – had to drop their contestation of the results from the Oct.31 poll after the constitutional council validated them on Saturday.

The RHDP, which collectively raked 60%, will be confronting Gbagbo’s coalition LMP that scored 38%.

Bédié’s militants, who are mainly from the Baoulé tribe – central – will definitely decide who becomes the next president of Ivory Coast, as their almost 25% of the electorate will be determinant for Gbagbo or Ouattara’s progress.

Although Bédié has made his call, observers are wary if all his supporters – mostly Christians – will accept voting for Ouattara - a northern Muslim with Burkina Faso origins and accused of giving underground support to the Ivorian rebels, an accusation he has always denied.

On the other hand, several of Bédié supporters are fed up with Gbagbo’s regime, which they accuse of corruption and mediocrity, and are thirsty for change.

Many in the West African nation envisage a “verbal war” in the days leading to the run-off between both camps, in a bid to present the other as a “demon” before voters.

“Expect tons of disparaging speeches. Expect tons of lies. Expect anything to colour the other bad in the eyes of voters days before the run-off,” Innocent Dagou, a 46-year-old political scientist at the Cocody University, told AfricaNews.

“Gbagbo’s camp will definitely paint Ouattara as a foreigner and one who sponsored the Ivorian rebels. Ouattara’s camp will present Gbagbo and his team as incompetent administrators good at embezzling public fund. Now the big question is who will voters listen to?” Dagou said.