Boycott Cuts Into Voting for Legislature

Ivory Coast held a largely peaceful parliamentary election after a week dominated by political and ethnic bloodshed, but a protest boycott prevented polling in many parts of the Muslim north. Security was tight at flash points in the West African nation’s main city, Abidjan, and in the north after the exclusion of Muslim former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara from the poll because of doubts about his nationality. But as counting began, voters and officials predicted that the turnout would top the 34.4% achieved in the Oct. 22 presidential election.