Ivory Coast opposition leader pledges exiles’ return

Ivory Coast’s opposition leader Henri Konan Bedie has said he will welcome back exiled citizens if elected.

The former president said he would free political and military prisoners who were jailed over the 2010 disputed election.

The post-election violence after Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept that he had lost a disputed election run-off to Alassane Ouattara left 3,000 dead and 500,000 displaced.

Mr Gbagbo is in exile in Belgium and plans to run in October’s elections despite being barred over a previous conviction.

Mr Bedie unveiled his candidature for the former ruling party, the Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire – African Democratic Rally, in an event attended by thousands of supporters.

His party had threatened to boycott October’s general elections if conditions to make them fair and transparent were not met.

President Ouattara is running for a controversial third term in the polls.