Local elections record low turnout

The ruling Front populaire ivoirien (FPI) and the former ruling party, le Parti democratique de Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI) each took 18 councils in Cote d'Ivoire's first-ever local elections. A total of 58 councils (called departments) were contested in Sunday's polls.

Provisionary results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (Commission Electorale Independente), showed that the Le Rassemblement des republicains party, headed by former prime minister Alassane Ouattara, took 10 departments while the Union pour la democratie et la paix of former junta leader General Robert Guei took three. The remaining departments were won by smaller parties and coalitions.

Voter-turnout was however a low 30 percent. Opposition parties said a large number of eligible voters were not in possession of the required voting documents, namely the "green" national ID card or a certificate of identity. Distribution of the cards was only resumed last week after it was suspended during the time of military rule in 2000.

The new electoral code stipulates that the ID card, in replacement of the old-style "yellow" card, is the only valid voting document for elections held after October 2000.

The main opposition parties had appealed to the electoral commission to ease this requirement, saying only a small number of people were in possession of the new cards. But President Laurent Gbagbo, in a televised speech on Friday, reaffirmed the conditions established by the commission.

Allegations of electoral fraud have also emerged from opposition groups. The PDCI and RDR have threatened to contest some of the results.