2 Men Claiming To Be President In Ivory Coast

In the West African country of Ivory Coast the two remaining candidates for the office of president are claiming to be the nation's next president. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Ivory Coast this morning on an emergency mission as Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara both claim to be president of the country. Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo defied most of the international appeal for him to step aside and was sworn in Saturday as the new president in a formal ceremony inside the presidential palace that was live on television. Less than an hour-and-a-half later, his rival, Alassane Ouattara, told reporters that he had also taken the oath of office and asked Prime Minister Soro Guillaume to form a new government.

On Friday, The Constitutional Council declared Gbagbo the winner contradicting earlier results from the Independent Electoral Commission which handed Ouattara the victory with 54.1% of the vote.
The Constitutional Council said Gbagbo had won the election with 51.45% of the vote to Ouattara's 48.55%. It tossed out votes it said were marred by fraud in northern regions that were considered Ouattara strongholds.