It looked promising. A face to face debate between the two candidates days before the second round of elections featured set two minute response times to each question to curtail any cutting off or interruptions and ended in a handshake and gentle embrace between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara. They laughed and joked with each other, even telling of friendly phone conversations between them over the past years, and calling for an end to some escalating violent tones within street campaigning. Onlookers might think they were old friends and not longstanding political rivals who had previously battled each other in civil war. I watched while the days progressed as people who had repeatedly talked of peace and patience quickly turned to spread hype-filled rumours, enhancing cultural violence and tensions. Today, we know a new coup was born and democracy was again denied for the people of Cote D’Ivoire.

The night before the election, tensions boiled over and clashes broke out in the streets, resulting in at least six reported deaths and many injuries. Current President Gbagbo announced a five-day curfew, later extended indefinitely, that would run from night until mornings in an attempt to reduce the violence happening in the streets. Ouattara subsequently stated that the curfew was illegal, unconstitutional and that it would open the door to electoral fraud, preventing election results from being properly delivered and counted. Angered, he and many of his supporters refused to respect the curfew and that night many youth supporters took to the streets in Abidjan against it, clashing with police as demonstrations turned violent. At least three people were reported killed.

The day of the vote was tense. Polls opened late in many areas, and eager voters were restricted from lining up at first light as they had in the previous round because the curfew prevented it. Voter intimidation was cited several regions, and many people chose to simply stay home to avoid the violence or threats. Despite the intimidation and several early complaints of irregularity, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cote D’Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, expressed that he had “no doubt that no (sic) candidate will resort to undemocratic means to express his position on the results of the poll”; citing that the tally sheets were being transported normally despite the rumours and false alarms. The EU electoral commission head suggested otherwise, announcing early on that their “observers saw irregularities, some obstacles on the day of the vote and serious tension”. The streets became ghost towns and the majority of shops were closed.

Originally, we were told results would be released within 48 hours of the vote, though the CEI (electoral commission) constitutionally had until Wednesday at midnight to make their announcements before it would be turned over to the Supreme Court’s decision. On Tuesday, glued to the tv, we watched as a Gbagbo supporter within the CEI physically seized the papers of the provisional results out of the commission spokesman’s hands and tore them up in front of a crowd of journalists, claiming the results were not valid. Ouattara alleged Gbagbo was attempting to confiscate power by preventing the results from being read, while Nigerian President and head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) asked both candidates to “tone down their rhetoric and maintain peace”.  Results were to be read the following day, but as the day came and went, no new news was released. Rumours of more clashes in the street were abundant, but unconfirmed as we called our friends around the country asking for information on the happenings in their neighbourhoods. At this point the CEI constitutional right to announce the results had expired, leaving the tallying in the hands of the Ggbagbo-appointed Supreme Court. It seemed that the CEI was forbidden from making any further announcements on state television after the confiscation earlier in the day.

On Thursday, clashes killed at least another eight people in my district of Abidjan, Yopougon; though some local rumours had originally suggested as many as thirty or forty had died at a RDR (Ouattara) office, and screaming could be heard in the streets. Later in the afternoon, we again heard screaming and crying outside, and hurried to the balcony to see what was happening now. People crowded the streets, some chanting, dancing and cheering; others fighting, yelling and attempting to stop traffic. CEI President Bakayoko had just announced on the international France 24 channel that Ouattara had won with 54.10% of the vote, safely behind the security of the UN, alongside Ouattara and Bedie in the grand hotel. The Supreme Court spokesman claimed the result invalid, as the constitutional time for the CEI to announce had already passed. As the night wore on word of the suspension of all international tv channels and radio was announced to stop “illegal” announcements, along with the closure of all borders (land, air and sea) “until further notice”.

Now we wait. The Supreme Court has 30 days to announce their findings. Both sides are claiming the other has attempted a coup. The Canadian embassy has sent me an email telling me to remain indoors and call in case of emergency. It seems that the peaceful transition to democracy will not be happening and instead we will have a return to the coup d’etat status quo where control lies in the hands of power-hungry despots while the voice of the people is ignored.

Rebecca Sargent writes for the Stand Blog and lives and works in West Africa.  You can follow her on Twitter @peaceofconflict

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