Question: Did the U.S. have election observers in the North in the recent presidential election? If so, did they report widespread fraud as recounted by other observers? Why does the U.S. support results favoring the opposition given these complaints?

Answer: The U.S. did deploy a small team of accredited Embassy observers during the recent presidential election. However, the U.S. relies on other credible entities such as the Carter Center, which had long-term observers throughout the country, including the North. According to their statement, “Carter Center observers saw no evidence of systematic irregularities that would have a significant impact on the results. The Carter Center's overall assessment is that the conduct of the run-off election met international standards.”

The United States is unaware of any allegations of widespread fraud. The United States stands with the Ivorian people who have expressed their choice of Alassane Ouattara as president through the democratic process with results certified by their own independent electoral commission, ECOWAS, and the United Nations.