The five parties in Ivory Coast's ruling coalition named President Alassane Ouattara as their candidate for an election in October in which he is expected to win a second five-year term.

Thousands of activists made the choice at a rally in the national stadium at which they held up banners showing their support for the former deputy head of the International Monetary Fund.

Former president Henri Konan Bedié, who is the leader of the RHDP coalition, gave his endorsement to Ouattara, who has won praise for reviving the West African country's economy after a decade of political turmoil that culminated in a brief civil war that ended in 2011.

"We want an Ivory Coast committed to working, which believes in its bright future," Ouattara told the rally.

The opposition has yet to chose its candidate. Ivory Coast is the world's leading producer of cocoa.