The World Bank warned Ivory Coast on Friday that further debt relief hinged on long-delayed elections taking place, and urged the cocoa producing country to end quickly a political stalemate.
The elections have already been delayed six times since 2005, when President Laurent Gbagbos mandate ran out.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick expressed concern about any failure by the West African country to hold the elections this year. However, Zoellick said he had been encouraged that President Gbagbo seemed to understand the importance of moving quickly to a vote.
Zoellick reiterated that the World Bank would be ready, whatever the result of the election, to provide support for the establishment of a consultative group of donors for the future government.
The international community, too, is upping the pressure on Ivory Coast to hold a presidential election. The UN Security Council last week called for an election to be held by May 31, before mandates for a UN force with nearly 8.000 personnel and a French 1.800-troop deployment in the former French colony run out.
The poll is aimed at ending a crisis that began with an attempted coup against President Laurent Gbagbo in September 2002.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
