国际英语新闻：Cote d'Ivoire's Gbagbo insists he is president, lifts curfew: media

ABIDJAN, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire's Laurent Gbagbo reiterated in a television speech that he is the country's president, media reports said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Gbagbo's army lifted the nightly curfew, which has been imposed since Nov. 27 to prevent escalating post-election violence, reports quoted military officials as saying.

Gbagbo also said during the speech that he is willing to have an international panel to look into the country's disputed elections and the political crisis that ensued.

After the presidential run-off held on Nov. 28, Gbagbo and former prime minister and opposition leader Alassane Ouattara both declared victory. Ouattara was declared winner by the electoral commission while Gbagbo was endorsed by the Constitutional Council, which has the final say on the results.

Gbagbo was sworn in as the new president by the Constitutional Council, and Ouattara also swore himself in as the president, creating a political impasse in the west African country.

In another development on Tuesday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced that it would hold an emergency summit on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire on Friday.

The ECOWAS Commission had on Dec.7 suspended Cote d'Ivoire from the regional bloc over the country's electoral dispute, and recognized Ouattara as the winner of the presidential run-off.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) for six months, after Gbagbo asked UN peacekeepers and French troops to leave the country.

UNOCI has reported attacks on UN patrols and on its headquarters, perpetrated by members of the Ivorian security forces who are allegedly loyal to Gbagbo.