Welcoming Côte d’Ivoire’s Run-off Election, Secretary-General Calls on Parties,

 

Candidates Not to Pre-empt Official Announcement of Results

 

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

The Secretary-General welcomes the holding of the second round of the presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire, despite some violent incidents in various areas of the country.  He notes that, by exercising their right to vote for the second time in one month, the Ivorian people demonstrated again their desire for lasting peace and stability in their country.

The Secretary-General calls on the Ivorian parties and candidates to refrain from announcing the results in advance of the Independent Electoral Commission.  He urges candidates and parties to abide by the law in the resolution of any disputes related to the electoral process.  He calls on them to play their part in maintaining a calm environment and to accept the proclaimed and certified results in a spirit of peace and reconciliation.

The Secretary-General stresses that any disruption in the electoral process would not be in the interest of the people of Côte d’Ivoire, who have waited many years to reach a successful conclusion to the crisis, of which these elections are a critical step.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General will continue, in the context of his certification mandate, all his efforts to safeguard the electoral process so that the will of the Ivorian people will be respected.  The United Nations will provide its full support to the completion of the electoral operations and to the Ivorian peace process as a whole.

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For information media • not an official record