Cote d'Ivoire president says Sunday's polls to help people forget 2010 crisis

Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, who is the favourite to win Sunday's elections, said he hoped the polls will enable the people to "forget" the 2010 post-election crisis that left over 3,000 people dead.

"I hope these elections will help us forget the 2010 electoral process that ended disastrously," Ouattara said after casting his vote in the commercial capital, Abidjan.

"It is a big day, and we hope we shall complete this electoral process peacefully," he added.

Ouattara who is contesting for his second and final five-year term, is facing six other candidates including the chairman of the main opposition party, Cote d'Ivoire Popular Front (FPI of ex-president Laurent Gbagbo), Pascal Affi N'guessan.

"The electoral campaigns were peaceful and I hope peace will equally prevail after the announcement of the results," Ouattara concluded.

A total of 6.3 million Cote d'Ivoire voters were expected to cast their votes in 19,841 polling stations across the national territory as well as in the diaspora.

The elections were considered crucial for restoration of peace and reconciliation in Cote d'Ivoire after the 2010 post-election violence that broke out after Gbagbo refused to acknowledge Ouattara's victory.

Gbagbo is currently detained at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, facing charges of "crimes against humanity." Endit