I Coast court annuls 11 election results

2012-02-01 10:55

Abidjan - Ivory Coast's top court Tuesday annulled the election of 11 lawmakers from President Alassane Ouattara's party in a December vote after complaints that they breached campaign laws.

But the head of the Constitutional Council, Francis Wodie, said the court had upheld the election of 55 others. There had been 110 requests concerning 66 candidates.

Wodie said the complaints concerned electoral campaigns with several candidates using soldiers as escorts while pitching for votes. He did not name the disqualified parliamentarians.

By-elections will be held in these 11 constituencies along with another one where the vote was annulled due to the death of a candidate.

Ouattara and his allies secured a vice-like grip on parliament after the December election, which was boycotted by the party of his toppled rival Laurent Gbagbo.

Gbagbo is currently awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

His refusal to quit after his defeat in a November 2010 election triggered a conflict that left around 3 000 people dead before Ouattara took power with the support of UN and French peacekeeping forces in the west African nation.

Ouattara's Rally of Republicans (RDR) party won 127 of parliaments 254 seats in the December 11 election. Its ally, the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, bagged 77 seats. Several independents have also joined the RDR-led alliance.

- SAPA