United Nations Radio

The UN Security Council has welcomed Cote d'Ivoire's decision to hold presidential elections in November.

The elections were to have been held as far back as 2005, but have been delayed several times.

During his visit to the country last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon acknowledged the challenges in Cote d'Ivoire's peace process but urged all the main political actors to continue making progress. The parties last week signed a code of good conduct for elections under the auspices of the Secretary-General. Security Council president Dumisani Kumalo (photo) said the Council was encouraging the parties to build on the ongoing mobile courts' process for identification of the Ivorian population and registration of voters, saying the publication of the electoral list would be "a crucial step in the electoral process".

"The Security Council calls upon the parties to make concrete progress to promote political and security stability, in particular in the context of the forthcoming presidential elections, in such key areas as the disarmament and dismantling of militias, the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, the storage of weapons, the unification and restructuring of defence and security forces and the full restoration of State authority throughout the country."

The Council said the active engagement of the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cote d'Ivoire, Choi Young-Jin, and the continued support of President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso have been instrumental in achieving consensus among all the political parties to hold presidential elections this year. Elections are now scheduled for the 30th of November.

Cote d'Ivoire was divided in 2002 between the Government-controlled south and the rebel Forces-Nouvelles in the north.

Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio.

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