Booming Ivory Coast faces elections with confidence

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - From Abidjan airport's packed arrivals hall to the hotels and plush villas mushrooming across the city, Ivory Coast is booming, a rare African bright spot as the world's biggest cocoa producer bounces back from years of turmoil and civil war.

With elections due in a month, many Ivorians had expected a post-conflict growth spurt to pause for breath, but such is the confidence in a smooth vote and second term for incumbent Alassane Ouattara the expected blip has failed to materialise.