Ivory Coast is holding a bitterly contested presidential election, the first since the civil war ended in 2011.

The poll has been marred by prominent opposition candidates pulling out, citing widespread irregularities.

President Alassane Ouattara is running for a second term in the world's largest cocoa producer.

Some 3,000 people were killed in the conflict which ended with Mr Ouattara coming to power in 2011.

The conflict broke out after former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept Mr Ouattara's victory in the 2010 election.

Mr Gbagbo was subsequently arrested and is due to stand trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he denies war crimes charges.

Three of the 10 opposition candidates, including former Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny, have withdrawn from the election.

They allege that the process has been rigged to guarantee victory for Mr Ouattara, a former International Monetary Fund economist.

The president denies the charge, and has called on people to turn out in massive numbers.

Memories of the conflict are still fresh in people's minds, especially in strongholds of Mr Gbagbo, correspondents say.