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DATE=10/13/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IVORY COAST / POL (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=LUIS RAMIREZ

DATELINE=ABIDJAN

INTRO: In Ivory Coast, the calls are growing for a boycott of the October 22nd elections, which are supposed to return the West African country to civilian rule following its first military coup last December. V-O-A's Luis Ramirez reports from Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan.

TEXT: The opposition Rally of the Republicans party, led by former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, is the latest to call for a boycott of the race in which military ruler General Robert Guei is considered the main candidate.

The Guei government last week shut Mr. Ouattara's party and most other opposition candidates out of the elections. The Ivorian supreme court barred them from running under the terms of a newly adopted constitution that was approved by a referendum in July.

General Guei had earlier this year tried to win the nomination of the longtime ruling Democratic Party, known as P-D-C-I, which his forces ousted in December. But the party rejected him as its candidate. The P-D-C-I on Friday was among those eliminated from the race.

Despite protests from the United States and other nations, General Guei launched his campaign for the presidency this week. He is running alone, without a party. Campaign billboards in the commercial capital, Abidjan, read: "Guei. My party is the people."

The billboards drew an angry response from this 21-year-old Ouattara supporter.

///ACT IN FRENCH, ESTABLISH & FADE///

He says, General Guei's real party is the C-N-S-P the ruling junta. They took power by force, he says, and they are retaining power by force, with their weapons. The true party of Guei today is the army. It is the weapons that he will use to remain in power. It is not the people.

On Thursday, the P-D-C-I, which is still Ivory Coast's largest party, called for a boycott of the elections. The declaration came after some of its members announced they would support the General in the elections.

The United States has suspended aid that would have helped Ivory Coast finance the elections, saying the government's decision to disqualify leading opposition candidates robs the Ivorian people of a meaningful choice.

The Guei government responded saying it will organize the elections without U-S assistance. (SIGNED)

NEB/LR/GE/KBK