Abidjan - Ivory Coast's electoral commission said on Thursday it had produced a final voter list for the first time, raising the chance that an election which has been delayed six times in five years might go ahead.

The poll, now scheduled for October 31, is needed to end years of turmoil in the once economically successful west African country, following a failed 2002 rebellion against President Laurent Gbagbo that deterred investment and ravaged the economy.

Voter register has been the main sticking point between Gbagbo and the opposition, and the battle over it in the courts has been long and tortuous.

While Ivory Coast appears closer to the poll than ever, sceptics say there remains a chance Gbagbo's camp will reject the list and further delay the process.

The last election date of November 29, 2009 collapsed into political wrangling over the electoral list, ending with Gbagbo dissolving the government and electoral commission in February, triggering mass demonstrations.