New York - The United Nations Security Council expressed concern on Tuesday that a delay in publishing the provisional voters' list might lead to yet another postponement of Ivory Coast's presidential polls slated for November 29.
"The Security Council expresses its concern at the delay in publication of the provisional voters' list and highlights that further delays in the publication of the list may put at risk the time line for open, free, fair and transparent presidential elections," said a statement read by its president.
"The Council reiterates that the Ivorian political actors are bound to respect the electoral time line" and urges (them) "to comply fully with their commitments," added US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body this month.
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The Council recalled that it was up to UN special envoy to Ivory Coast Choi Young-jin of South Korea to "certify the voters' list explicitly."
It said it planned to review the situation again by October 15 and to "react as appropriate toward those who would block the progress of the electoral process".
The council said it would also review by October 15 the mandate of the UN mission in Ivory Coast (ONUCI) as well as "benchmarks for a possible drawdown of the operation, in particular in light of the progress of the electoral process".
ONUCI, which includes 7 661 troops backed by 900 French troops, is tasked with enforcing security and assisting the voter registration process in the former French colony.
Ivory Coast's presidential elections have been put off since October 2005, when the current President Laurent Gbagbo's mandate was due to end.
But the vote was pushed back many times after civil war erupted in the country in 2002, when northern rebels launched a bid to oust Gbagbo. - AFP
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