YAMOUSSOUKRO, Sha'ban 24, 1431/Aug 5, 2010, SPA -- Ivory Coast will hold elections on Oct. 31, Prime Minister Guillaume Soro said on Thursday, announcing a new date for polls first meant to take place in 2005. The previous deadline for elections, in November last year, was missed and the electoral process had since collapsed into political wrangling, Reuters reported. The polls are badly needed to end years of crisis and economic stagnation following a war in 2002-03 that divided the world's top cocoa growing nation in two. Failure to hold the vote has largely put on hold much-needed reforms to the country's cocoa sector, which analysts say is in decline due to neglect during the war and years of political stalemate. "It is on the proposal of the Independent Electoral Commission that today cabinet decided to take the 31st October to be the date of the election," Soro told journalists after a cabinet meeting. The polls were first meant to happen in 2005 but rows over rebel disarmament and voter identity have caused so many deadlines to be missed that few Ivorians believe their politicians any more when they announce election dates. --SPA 19:26 LOCAL TIME 16:26 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/807986