WORLD : Ivory Coast Leader Ahead in Vote
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny appeared bound for overwhelming victory today in the country’s first contested presidential election, which the opposition said was stolen through massive fraud.
It was the first time a leader of one of Africa’s one-party states was being challenged at the polls since a wave of protests and rioting for democracy began sweeping sub-Saharan Africa early this year.
With about one-third of the ballots counted by midday today, Interior Ministry official Claude Regnier said Houphouet-Boigny had captured about 85% of the votes.
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