Secretary-General Welcomes Provisional Voters List in Côte d’Ivoire, Encourages

All Parties to Build on This Critical Milestone, Determine New Election Date

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the publication of the provisional list of voters by the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission on 23 November 2009.  The Secretary-General believes that with this important development, the Ivorian parties and institutions have made significant progress towards the establishment of a consensual and transparent voters list.  He notes that his Special Representative has endorsed the provisional list of voters, as well as the process followed in compiling it.

The Secretary-General now encourages all the Ivorian parties to build further on this critical milestone in order to prepare the final voters list and move forward in determining a new election date as soon as possible.

The Secretary-General thanks the Facilitator, President Compaoré of Burkina Faso, for his continuing efforts and assures the Ivorian parties that the United Nations will continue to provide the necessary financial, technical and logistical support to help them organize and conduct open, free, fair and transparent elections.

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For information media • not an official record