By Loucoumane Coulibaly ABIDJAN, April 24 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's political parties signed an agreement on Thursday to shun violence, promote fair voting and respect the outcome of a presidential election scheduled for Nov. 30 in the West African nation. Witnessed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the signing of the good conduct code was the latest step towards a national poll that is aimed at unifying the world's top cocoa producer after a 2002-2003 civil war that split the nation. President Laurent Gbagbo announced just over a week ago that a presidential poll would be held on Nov. 30. The vote has been repeatedly delayed because the southern-based government had said it could not organise polls in the rebel-held north. Gbagbo was present at Thursday's initialling of the good conduct code, which committed the signatories to upholding "democratic, free, open and transparent elections" organised by the country's Independent Electoral Commission. "The electoral process seems to have not only got off to a good start, but to be irreversible," said Ban, who was wrapping up a tour of four West African nations. The parties who signed included three representing the northern New Forces rebels, whose leader Guillaume Soro was made prime minister by Gbagbo in a peace pact a year ago that relaunched a faltering peace process aimed at holding elections. Gbagbo's ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party was also a signatory, along with the former ruling Democratic Party (PDCI) and ex-prime Minister Alassane Ouattara's Rally of the Republicans (RDR) party, among others. All sides committed themselves to avoiding violence, showing restraint in speeches and written declarations, respecting others' opinions and respecting the outcome of the elections. They also pledged to use only legal judicial procedures to challenge the results of the poll if they disagreed with them. "I want Ivorians to go to the polls in peace," said Gbagbo. FEAR OF POLITICAL MANOEUVRING He won a presidential election in 2000 -- from which other key opposition figures were barred -- despite an attempt by army ruler General Robert Guei to rig the result and hang onto power, which triggered widespread bloodshed. Former French colony Ivory Coast was for years a prosperous bastion of stability in turbulent West Africa under independence leader Felix Houphouet-Boigny. But after his death in 1993, ethnic tensions between the mainly Christian south and more Muslim north, exacerbated by the presence of millions of mostly Muslim foreigners, fuelled a political crisis that led eventually to the civil war. Although the U.N. and foreign donors have welcomed the setting of the Nov. 30 election date, they are urging the government and political leaders to press ahead urgently with programmes aimed at disarming combatants from the war and ensuring citizens have identity papers to vote. Analysts say tensions have subsided over the last year, but add there has been no decisive progress in the disarmament and identification schemes, and this could threaten the vote. Brussels-based think-tank International Crisis Group warned in a report this week that the pre-election manoeuvrings of Ivorian political leaders could jeopardise the new-found peace. "The struggle to influence the electoral process and the presidential campaign will be harsh and divisive, with the risk of returning the country to turmoil," the ICG report said. On Wednesday, U.N. chief Ban announced that donors including France, the European Union and Japan were unblocking 27 million euros ($43 million) in aid to Ivory Coast to help the country organise the elections. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/) (Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Charles Dick)
Protesters run from tear gas on the streets of Abidjan April 1, 2008. Police in Ivory Coast fired tear gas on Monday to disperse demonstrators who barred roads and burnt tyres ...
