The local council election is the final stage of the country’s electoral cycle after the presidential and legislative polls.

The Ivorian Defence Minister, Paul Kofi, said on Friday in Abidjan that the country’s military was ready to provide security during the April 21 local council polls.

He gave the assurance at a press briefing after a meeting with security agencies. Mr. Kofi called on the voters to come out to exercise their franchise without entertaining any fear on the election’s day.

“The security agencies in the land have been detailed to ensure that security was beefed up around the country. We owe the citizenry the responsibility of providing adequate security and we are prepared to do this,” he said.

On the recent attacks in the western part of the country, Mr. Kofi assured residents of the affected areas of the government’s readiness to provide security.

“We have witnessed incursions recently in some villages in the west; you can agree that we quickly put them under control. Being villages located near our border with Liberia, we have already agreed to strengthen security around the border area,” he said.

Elections into local council positions in the country have been slated for April 21. The local council election is the final stage of the country’s electoral cycle after the presidential and legislative polls.

The Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party of former President Laurent Gbagbo had announced its decision not to be part of the election. The party had during a dialogue with government, given conditions to participate in future elections, including the adoption of an amnesty law for pro-Gbagbo politicians in prison.

Others are the reconstitution of the Youssouf Bakayoko Electoral Commission and the guarantee of security and honesty at the polls.

(NAN)