Mr. Speaker, our government strongly condemns the violence which occurred during the elections in Côte d'Ivoire. On behalf of the Government of Canada, we call on both parties to respect the decision of the people of Côte d'Ivoire. Canada remains committed to ensuring a transparent electoral process.
Yesterday the Independent Electoral Commission announced that Alassane Ouattara had won the presidential election. Since then, the military has sealed all air, land and sea borders into Côte d'Ivoire and blocked international media broadcasts. These are very troubling developments.
Any dispute with the announced result must be dealt with in a legal and peaceful manner. Our government repeats its call for all stakeholders to remain calm and respect the democratic will of the citizens of Côte d'Ivoire.