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Ivory Coast President Dissolves Government

   VOA News 13 February 2010

   Ivory  Coast's  president  says  he  is  dissolving the government and
   electoral  commission  following  rising  tensions  over  next month's
   planned election.
   President  Laurent Gbagbo announced on state television Friday that he
   has asked Prime Minister Guillaume Soro to form a new government.
   The   move   throws  into  doubt  next  month's  planned  presidential
   elections,  as  well  as  the  political reconciliation process in the
   divided country. Presidential elections have been repeatedly postponed
   since 2005.
   President  Gbagbo's  action  follows  a  decision earlier this week by
   Prime Minister Soro, a former rebel, to suspend the voter registration
   process for the upcoming election because of allegations of fraud.
   Tensions flared last week after investigators announced fraud was used
   to  compile  the  list of voters.  On Tuesday, several thousand people
   took  part  in  a demonstration in the central city of Vavoua, burning
   down a government building.
   Mr.  Gbagbo  said Friday he is asking Prime Minister Soro to propose a
   format for a new, credible electoral commission within the next week.
   Ivory  Coast's  former  rebels,  the  New  Forces,  say  the  election
   controversy could push the country back into civil war.
   The  question  of who can vote and who is really Ivorian is one of the
   key issues that led to the country's 2002 civil war.
   The  ex-rebel  group  is  demanding that militiamen loyal to President
   Gbagbo be disarmed, as called for in a 2007 peace agreement.
   Under  the  peace deal, Mr. Gbagbo remains president and Mr. Soro, the
   New  Forces  leader,  serves  as  prime  minister  in  a  transitional
   government  that is to lead the country until the presidential poll is
   held.
   The  New  Forces have controlled northern Ivory Coast since 2002, when
   they failed to topple President Gbagbo.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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