ABIDJAN, Nov 28 (AFP) - Ivory Coast will know by Saturday at the latest
whether controversial opposition leader Alassane Ouattara may stand in the
December 10 general election, a senior court official said Tuesday.
   Nouplezana Ouattara told AFP that he had "transmitted voters' objections
to
certain candidacies to the Supreme Court on Monday" and that the court would
announce its decision on "Friday or Saturday at the latest."
   The court has seven days from the November 25 deadline for registering
objections to hand down a ruling.
   On November 22, the national electoral commission declared Ouattara, a
former prime minister and leader of the Rally of Republicans (RDR), among
those eligible to run for the national assembly.
   The Supreme Court had barred Ouattara from running for the presidential
elections, held on October 22, because of doubts over his nationality, but
conditions of eligibility are not so strict for a parliamentary seat.
   The barring of Ouattara and of Emile Constant Bombet of the former ruling
Ivory Coast Democratic Party (PDCI) from the presidential race pushed the
two
parties to boycott the election organized by the junta that came to power in
a
coup December 24 1999.
   The court official did not reveal how many challenges had been received
or
against whom, but any registered elector is permitted to contest a
candidacy.
   Challengers interviewed by AFP said they had objected among others to the
candidacies of Ouattara, Bombet and Simone Gbagbo, wife of President Laurent
Gbagbo.
   omj/crl/tm
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