The 15-member body adopted a French-drafted resolution that decides to renew the mandate of the force known as ONUCI until May 31, "in particular to support the organization... of free, fair, open and transparent elections."

It also authorized a four-month extension of the mandate of the 1,800 French troops backing ONUCI in the former French colony.

The council expressed its intention to boost by 500 personnel for a limited period of time ONUCI's current troop level of 7,450 "as will be needed."

It urged "the relevant Ivorian stakeholders to ensure the publication of the final voters list, to announce the official date of the first round of the presidential elections and to meet their commitments in full."

A presidential election has been postponed six times in the divided west African country since 2005, when President Laurent Gbagbo's last elected mandate ran out.

Under agreement by all parties, including the opposition and the former New Forces rebels who hold the northern half of the country, the presidential poll is scheduled to take place in late February or early March.

The presidential poll is aimed at ending a crisis that began with a foiled coup in September 2002 against Gbagbo by the New Forces, which subsequently left the country split between the rebel-held north and a government-controlled south.

"In four months' time, if the elections take place (...) if the democratic process which we are calling for has been implemented, we will then able to begin withdrawing the force and lifting (UN) sanctions imposed on" Ivory Coast, France's UN Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters after the council vote.

"If four months from now the elections have not been held, we will have to review the entire mission. We have been waiting for elections in Ivory Coast for years. Ivorian democracy must function and we will not wait indefinitely," he warned.

His US counterpart Susan Rice concurred, saying the postponement of the Ivorian polls were "a source of real concern for the council and for the United States."

"We very much hope and expect that in that time frame (four months) as soon as possible, free and fair elections will take place and that the progress that has been stalled thus far toward achieving reconciliation and a nationally unified government will actually be achieved," she said.

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