ABIDJAN - President Laurent Gbagbo will face Ivory Coast's main opposition leader in what is likely to be a tense run-off later this month that could restore stability to the world's biggest cocoa producer after a decade of unrest.

But some fear the November 28 vote pitting Gbagbo against Alassane Ouattara, could polarise the already divided West African nation and spur more violence.

Early yesterday, the electoral commission released final results from Sunday's ballot that showed Gbagbo in first place with just over 38percent of the vote, compared to about 32 for Ouattara - both well short of the 50percent needed to avoid a second round.

The party of ex-president Henri Konan Bedie, however, called for a recount, accusing the electoral commission of publishing false results in a "clear desire" to rig the poll. Bedie, who was toppled in 1999 during the nation's first coup, trailed in third place with 25percent of the vote.

International observers have lauded Ivory Coast for carrying out the vote peacefully and said they had detected no fraud. The ballot was the first here since civil war split the world's biggest cocoa producer in two, leaving rebels in control of the north.

The country officially reunited in a 2007 peace deal, but deep tensions remain. Fears over possible unrest during the vote count kept many people home and left shops in the skyscraper-lined commercial capital, Abidjan, closed this week.

The preliminary results must be certified by the country's constitutional council, which will deal with any challenges before the count becomes official.