Cote d’Ivoire / UNOCI Chief discusses security arrangements for election run-off with RHDP
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, November 25, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Cote d’Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, on Wednesday 24 November 2010 met a delegation of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) led by presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara’s associate campaign director, Marcel Amon Tanoh.
“We came to express our concerns about the security of the second round of the presidential election to Mr. Choi and certain shortcomings noticed during the first round of the election,” Mr. Tanoh said. Describing the 90-minute discussion with Mr. Choi as useful, the campaign manager said he had obtained fresh information regarding the conduct of the second round. “Mr. Choi informed us of measures taken with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to ensure that the second round is held under better conditions than the first and especially in a peaceful environment,” he said.
Regarding shortcomings realized in the first round, Mr. Tanoh mentioned logistic problems, especially the transportation of ballot boxes from polling stations to the central body of the IEC as well as voting by military personnel.
UNOCI, the campaign director announced, has taken their concerns into account and being in the field, it anticipates and will take appropriate measures to make necessary corrections in order to have a more successful second round.
“We are therefore leaving with the reassurances of the Special Representative to consider our concerns and rectify failures,” Mr. Tanoh declared.
SOURCE
Mission of UN in Côte d’Ivoire
