Global General

Cote d'Ivoire's president-elect to be sworn-in

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-06 15:15

ABIDJAN - Cote d'Ivoire's president-elect Alassane Ouattara takes the oath of office on Friday, according to official sources.

Related readings:  China vows to support Cote d'Ivoire's reconstruction  Gbagbo calls for inter-Cote d'Ivoire dialogue  China hopes Cote d'Ivoire can restore peace  Fresh fighting erupts in Cote d'Ivoire

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled at 4 pm local time at the presidential palace in Abidjan's administrative district of Plateau.

Ouattara recognized on Thursday as the winner of the November 28 presidential elections by the president of Cote d'Ivoire's Constitutional Council, Paul Yao Ndre, will officially take over as the country's president.

Yao Ndre ratified the announcement made by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) on December 2, 2010 that Ouattara was the victor.

Yao Ndre, a close confidant of deposed leader Laurent Gbagbo, had declared him as the winner with 51 percent of the votes cast and went ahead to swear him in while CEI had indicated that Ouattara had won with 54 percent.

The country was thrown into a political crisis characterized by violence, which ended after the April 11 arrest of Gbagbo by forces loyal to Ouattara, who were assisted by the UN and French Licorne forces.