France, Dec. 27 -- With the campaign for the legislative elections having ended on Christmas Eve, more than 8.7 million voters are called to the ballot box on Saturday.

Given the absence from the running of the African People's Party (PPA-CI) of former president Laurent Gbagbo, many anticipate a two-horse race between the ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) and theDemocratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA),the main opposition.

The PPA-CI has chosen to boycott the vote, arguing that the conditions for free, fair and credible elections have not been met.

The party says the political environment in Cote d'Ivoire has been marked by repression, judicial harassment and restrictions on polit...