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afrol.com, 26 October - Laurent Gbagbo the civilian candidate to the presidential elections, appeared on national radio and television, declaring himself president. The military ruler, General Guei, fled the country after furious, violent masses took control of Abidjan responding to his attempts to manipulate the vote. He later announced that he will not take up the post of head of state until the National Electoral Commission has validated his victory and announced the true results of the election, according to PANA. Gbagbo reportedly has asked the outgoing prime minister, Seydou Diarra, to remain in his post temporarily. Ivorians went to the polls on Sunday, in a disputed presidential election were the principal candidates, most threatening to the ruling general, already had been excluded. The votes were announced as they were counted by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Monday, and showed an increasing lead for Gbagbo. Then, the military ordered that there would be no more publishing of the results. On Tuesday, Guei proclaimed himself president and dismissed the NEC, before it had finished its count. Gbagbo also declared himself the rightful "head of state of Côte d'Ivoire" the same day, referring to parallel counts showing that he had won 62% of the vote, with 26% for Guei. He called for mass action to respond to the "electoral coup d'etat" by the general. And he was heard. Great masses throughout the country took to the streets, and in Abidjan there broke out fighting. The state radio and television stations were also stormed as part of an uprising which a BBC correspondent in Abidjan says amounts to a popular revolution. Members of the presidential guard first fired at the protesters, but commander Lieutenant Laurent Boka Yapi soon ordered his soldiers back to barracks. "I do not want a civil war on my conscience," he told Agence France Presse. Subsequently, the streets were left open for the protesters and Guei saw no other possibility than fleeing the country. Reports indicate that he left, in helicopter, for Benin. Gbagbo thus appared on national television and radio, announcing the victory and thanking the masses for their support. Gbagbo already has reinstated the CNE and sayd it would shortly announce the legitimate results of Sunday's poll, according to PANA. He assured the international community that Cote d'Ivoire would return to democratic rule. The sudden change in Côte d'Ivoire was welcomed both within the country and from the international community. In Abidjan, large crowd were celebrating, and from all corners of the world, governments and organisations welcomed the victory of the Ivorian people. From the UN, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was following the developments very, very closely and that he was "really amazed at the audacity" of Guei trying to violate the rights of people twice in a year. He said the unfolding development in Côte d’Ivoire and what happened in Serbia recently are sending out a message that people are getting to know their rights and people are going to assert their rights. The days of coup d'états and manipulation of elections are over, he said, adding that those would want to do that in the future should be very, very carefully. From Europe, the Ivorian ally France quickly had condemned Guei's manipulations of the elections, which was followed by the European Union's (EU) general condemnation. In a statement, the EU threatened to "take the measures made necessary in the context of its relations with the Côte d'Ivoire," indicating a possible boycott. Reactions turned to statements of satisfaction when it was known that Guei had fled the country. "I am pleased that General Guei’s coup attempt has failed," British Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain said. "Attempts to seize power by military force must not be rewarded. Recognising that the elections cannot be described as inclusive, I call for a rapid return to civilian rule in accordance with the wishes of the Ivorian people," he continued. The most important conflict remaining in Côte d'Ivoire after the departure of Guei is the question of how the big opposition parties that were barred from participating from the elections are to be treated. While joining Gbagbo's supporters in demanding the departure of Guei, they also call for the election to be annulled. The demand has great appeal, both within Côte d'Ivoire and in the international community, which has criticized the elections from the start, claiming that the most popular candidates were barred by an Supreme Court decision which was more political than juridical.
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