Abidjan — The veteran socialist leader and Ivorian presidential candidate, Laurent Gbagbo, has confidently repeated that he expects to win Sunday's election in the first round.
Speaking to journalists at one of his campaign centres in Abidjan, the commercial capital, Mr Gbagbo said he was waiting for the official results from the National Electoral Commission, where vote counting is slow and measured. But he added that indications to date showed he was heading for victory.
The chairman of the election commission, Honore Guei has called on Ivorians to be patient for the final elections results. He said that vote counting would reflect caution and total transparency. But many voters and observers are questioning why it is taking so long and complaining loudly.
Gbagbo, the leader of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) is competing against Ivory Coast's military leader, General Robert Guei, who took power in December last year. Three other presidential contenders are thought to have little chance.
The atmosphere at Gbagbo's party campaign centre is euphoric, as supporters shriek with delight every time a result is announced on the radio in favour of their candidate. The radio vote count alternates with loud music and dancing while Gbagbo supporters wait for an update. Most were up all night and cheering in what resembled a victory party.
The reverse can be said for General Guei's campaign headquarters in the same suburb which is semi-deserted, with people sitting around looking disconsolate. Dagobert Banzio, a senior campaign official for the general, told journalists "We know that it's a tight race, but we must be cautious. It's early, we don't have serious problems yet. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose."
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General Guei has not spoken publicly since he voted on Sunday morning, saying very little other than that Ivory Coast was a peace-loving country and he was confident the vote was going well.
Today has been declared a public holiday while the country waits for the results.
See-saw interim results on Monday morning, local time, put both General Guei and Laurent Gbagbo in the lead, though by late in the morning of the votes counted, the electoral commission announced 51 percent for Gbagbo against 40 percent for Guei.
At a midday news conference, the Gbagbo camp which is running its own parallel vote count, announced that of the one million votes counted so far, the FPI and Gbagbo were ahead with 62 percent against 26 percent for Guei. Gbagbo said the turnout at that time was 35 percent.
More than five million Ivorians were eligible to vote on Sunday, but a call by two major parties for the boycott of a poll they called a masquerade appears to have been heeded by supporters of the opposition Rally for Democracy (RDR) and the former ruling Democratic Party (PDCI). All their presidential candidates were disqualified from standing.
Any candidate must win at least 50 percent of the vote to secure a first round victory. Otherwise there will have to be a second round run off in two weeks.
