ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Angry youths are protesting in Ivory Coast’s main city, burning tires, throwing chunks of concrete and tearing down billboards after election results were reversed.
Less than an hour before, the head of the country’s constitutional council announced that incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo had won the contested election.
That contradicts and reverses Thursday’s declaration by the country’s election chief, who said opposition leader Alassane Ouattara had won.
As soon as the new results were broadcast, shops closed and market women rushed to fold up their goods.
The African Union and the White House have said the earlier results giving victory to Ouattara are credible and should be honored.
