US agency sends election observers to Ivory Coast for run-up to presidential election
By APWednesday, October 6, 2010
US agency sends election observers to Ivory Coast
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — A U.S. agency says it has sent observers to Ivory Coast ahead of presidential elections scheduled for the end of the month.
The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said in a statement Tuesday that it has sent 10 election observers to the West African nation this week. The observers will work with government authorities and local civil society organizations in the run-up to voting scheduled for Oct. 31.
Ivory Coast has endured eight years of civil war, and a date for elections has been set and missed six times. Current President Laurent Gbagbo’s term officially expired five years ago.
Many worry about the threat of violence surrounding the elections.
