New Ivory Coast presidential election set for October 2015

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – Ivory Coast President Allassane Ouattara says a presidential election will be held in October 2015.

Presidential spokesperson Kady Traore confirmed that Ouattara announced the election date in Bouake in the north. Ouattara did not confirm if he would seek re-election in 2015 but he said he will not try to recover time lost while being unable to claim office during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis.

In the previous presidential election in November 2010 victory was claimed by the two top contenders — current President Allasane Ouattara and then incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo. This sparked a violent crisis in which more than 3,000 people died. The crisis ended when Gbagbo was arrested on April 11, 2011, and later sent for trial to the International Court of Justice.