Ivory Coast has set up a new electoral commission days after installing a new government as it moves toward ending a political crisis that sparked deadly demonstrations, according to dpa. The new commission was elected on Thursday night and will be headed by Youssouf Bakayoko, a member of the opposition PDCI party, the Ivory Coast presidency said on its website. President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the previous government and the electoral commission on February 12, provoking violent demonstrations that left up to seven people dead. Gbagbo claiming the head of the electoral commission had tampered with the electoral register to bolster support for the opposition. Prime Minister Guillame Soro on late Tuesday took the first step toward ending the crisis when he formed a new government, including both main opposition parties, after a deal mediated by Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore. There are 27 ministries, five fewer than before, although only 16 ministerial posts have been filled so far. The rest are under discussion. Bakayoko said the new commission would get down to finally organizing long-delayed presidential elections. "The result will be that we organize elections that are fair and transparent and have results everyone can accept," Bakayoko said in a statement. The presidential elections, which had already been postponed six times since 2005, were tentatively scheduled for March. They are now expected to take place in April or May. Ivory Coast is split between the north, which backs former rebel Soro, and the south, which is largely loyal to Gbagbo, who survived a 2002 coup attempt that sparked a civil war.
