Ivory Coast president's main challengers to boycott election

Bedie said he would provide more details about the boycott on Friday. The move leaves only one candidate, Bedie's former ally Kouadio Konan Bertin, in the race against Ouattara, who is seeking a third term in office. Ouattara says a new constitution approved in 2016 gives him the right to stand.

The two main challengers to Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara in the Oct. 31 election, Henri Konan Bedie and Pascal Affi N'Guessan, said on Thursday that they would boycott the vote.

"We invite our supporters across the country to block this electoral coup d'etat that President Ouattara is preparing to commit," Affi told supporters during a joint appearance with Bedie, a former president. Bedie said he would provide more details about the boycott on Friday.

The move leaves only one candidate, Bedie's former ally Kouadio Konan Bertin, in the race against Ouattara, who is seeking a third term in office. Ouattara's move to run again has drawn fierce criticism from opponents who say he is violating constitutional term limits. Ouattara says a new constitution approved in 2016 gives him the right to stand.