▁ ▁Ben ▁S ék ou ▁Syl la , ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁C EN I , ▁announced ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁that ▁the ▁election ▁was ▁being ▁delayed ▁and ▁would ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁at ▁the ▁earliest . ▁He ▁c ited ▁difficulties ▁with ▁bi ometric ▁vot er ▁registration , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁" delay ▁in ▁setting ▁up ▁structures ▁to ▁register ▁vot ers ▁and ▁super v ise ▁the ▁elections " ▁and ▁a ▁" delay ▁in ▁fund ing ". ▁Sid ya ▁Tour é ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Republican ▁Forces , ▁an ▁opposition ▁party , ▁den ounced ▁the ▁decision ▁as ▁" a ▁political ▁delay , ▁not ▁a ▁technical ▁one "; ▁he ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁unw illing ▁to ▁fin ance ▁C EN I ▁and ▁was ▁in hib iting ▁C EN I ' s ▁work . ▁Tour é ▁war ned ▁against ▁any ▁further ▁delay , ▁saying ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁" le ad ▁to ▁further ▁desp air ▁and ▁fresh ▁protest s ". ▁Se kou ▁Kon ate , ▁the ▁Secretary - General ▁of ▁the ▁gover ning ▁Party ▁of ▁Unity ▁and ▁Progress ▁( P UP ), ▁react ed ▁posit ively ▁to ▁the ▁delay : ▁" Pe ople ▁prefer ▁a ▁delay ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁having ▁war ▁straight ▁away . ▁If ▁we ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁clean ▁elect oral ▁roll , ▁we ▁risk ▁having ▁things ▁go ▁wrong ." ▁According ▁to ▁Kon ate , ▁holding ▁the ▁parliament ary ▁election ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁ 2 0 0