Ivory Coast opposition condemns president’s dismissal of government, electoral commission
By APSaturday, February 13, 2010
Ivory Coast opposition condemns govt dismissal
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Ivory Coast’s opposition is condemning the president’s dismissal of the government and electoral commission, saying it puts years of postwar reconciliation at risk.
Anne Ouloto, spokeswoman for the opposition RDR party, said Saturday that President Laurent Gbagbo’s act amounts to the first step toward dictatorship.
Gbagbo’s announcement late Friday comes two months after the government last failed to hold presidential elections to either re-elect or replace Gbagbo whose term expired five years ago.
A date for the election has been set — and then canceled — every year since 2005 in the West African nation.
Tension rose this past week after Gbagbo’s party demanded the resignation of the head of the independent election commission.
