Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo's party announced Thursday it would boycott the regional and local elections scheduled for April 21, saying the vote would not be fair. "No member of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) should take part in any way in these elections," said the chief opposition party's spokesman and interim secretary general, Richard Kodjo. The boycott comes amid lingering tensions from a post-election standoff between Gbagbo and current President Alassane Ouattara in 2010-2011 that killed some 3,000 people.

Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo on Thursday told the International Criminal Court which is weighing whether to charge him with crimes against humanity that he had always been pro-democracy. "All my life, I fought for democracy," Gbagbo told the court that will decide whether to charge him over 2010-2011 post-election violence in the west African nation that claimed over 3,000 lives.

Laurent Gbagbo's lawyer hit out at a "political trial" at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, where judges are to decide if the Ivorian ex-president should face charges of crimes against humanity. Gbagbo, 67, is the first former head of state brought before the ICC, where he is accused of masterminding a campaign of violence during a bloody 2010-2011 presidential election standoff in the West African nation in which over 3,000 people died.

* Court to hear if accusations can lead to full trial * Gbagbo lawyers accuse court of victor's justice * Prosecutor promises Gbagbo will answer for actions (Adds prosecutor quotes, Gbagbo behaviour in court) By Thomas Escritt THE HAGUE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Former Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo sat motionless as the International Criminal Court's prosecutor accused him on Tuesday of plunging his country into chaos in a bid to hold power after losing 2010 polls.