Côte d'Ivoire / UNOCI chief and Constitutional Council president discuss legislative elections

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire, March 14, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Bert Koenders, on Tuesday, met the president of the Constitutional Council, Francis Wodié, to discuss the outcome of the by-elections.

“I thanked Mr. Wodié for the co-operation between our two institutions, while remaining independent of each other, as well as all the organisations which took an active part in the elections. I'm referring to the IEC, the Constitutional Council and the certification,” said Mr. Koenders at the end of his visit to the headquarters of the Ivorian institution.

The Special Representative also announced the imminent start of an inquiry initiated by the Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) on the violent incidents which took place in Bonon and Facobly, in order to find out the sources of the conflicts and the reasons for the violence.

He also reiterated the UN Mission's availability to support the organisation of elections in these two constituencies. “This was not UNOCI's decision, the decision was made by the IEC who we will accompany during this other stage of the electoral process,” Mr. Koenders explained.