U.N. calls for calm ahead of Ivorian vote

Ivorians are called on to conduct weekend elections for their legislative assembly in a fair and peaceful manner, the U.N. special envoy to the country said. Ivorians head to the polls this weekend to vote for seats on the country's 225-member assembly. The election comes nearly a year after a contested presidential contest pushed the country to the brink of civil war. Bert Koenders, U.N. special envoy for Ivory Coast, called on political figures and the broader population to ensure the election is seen as a step away from political violence. Ivorians must "avoid all useless provocation and excesses which could prove prejudicial to the electoral process," his spokesman said in a statement. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast helped transport about 6,000 national forces across the country in preparation for the weekend election. Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is in The Hague facing charges of crimes against humanity committed during the post-election conflict in Ivory Coast. He was arrested in April with the help of French peacekeepers. The November 2010 elections were meant to unite a country divided by civil war in 2003. Human rights groups accuse both sides of committing atrocities during the conflict.