Paul Yao N'Dré (born 29 December 1956[1]) is an Ivorian politician and magistrate who was president of the Constitutional Council of Côte d'Ivoire from 2009 to 2011.
[2] He worked as a law professor and was active in Gbagbo's political party, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), for years.
In the immediate aftermath of the September 2002–January 2003 civil war, he was no longer a minister in the government, but he remained influential and was considered part of Gbagbo's personal circle of advisers.
No candidate received a majority of the vote, necessitating a run-off between opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, who placed second, and President Gbagbo, who placed first.
According to Yao N'Dre, the passing of the deadline meant that only the Constitutional Council was "authorised to announce decisions on the contested results."
The results from seven northern regions were cancelled by the Council due to irregularities, thereby swinging the outcome narrowly in favor of Gbagbo, who was credited with 51.45% of the vote while Ouattara had 48.55%.
Yao N'Dré also said that Ouattara would be sworn in as president on 6 May, with an inauguration ceremony to be held separately due to the circumstances on 21 May 2011.