By Loucoumane Coulibaly

BOUAKE, Ivory Coast, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast's New Forces rebels have asked electoral authorities to postpone a presidential election set for Nov. 30, citing delays in voter registration and in the demobilisation of civil war combatants.

The poll, in which President Laurent Gbagbo is expected to stand for re-election, is the culmination of a peace deal he signed last year with the rebels, who have controlled the north of the world's top cocoa grower since the 2002-2003 conflict.

But the Nov. 30 date for the vote is seen as almost certain to slip because of the slow progress of voter identification and delays in programmes to demobilise thousands of former rebel fighters and pro-government militia.

Gbagbo, the rebels and Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, who helped mediate the 2007 Ivorian peace deal, are due to meet at the end of this month to decide whether or not to set a new date for the election.

After a weekend seminar at their stronghold of Bouake, New Forces rebel military and civilian leaders said the slow pace of voter registration and the absence of adequate security at voter enrolment centres made it advisable to postpone the vote.

"Following analysis and in a bid to ease the constraints, the (New Forces) seminar invites the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) to propose another date for the ballot, taking into account the difficulties raised," Andre Ouattara, the rapporteur of the rebel seminar, said late on Saturday.

The rebels did not immediately suggest a new date for the vote, which could be postponed to the first quarter of 2009.

In recent months, dissident former rebel combatants have staged armed protests to demand bigger demobilisation payouts.

This has raised fears of renewed unrest and violence which could unravel the March 2007 peace deal signed between Gbagbo and New Forces rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who is serving as prime minister until elections are held.

New Forces military chief Soumaila Bakayoko said many former fighters were impatient about the slow pace of their payoffs.

"The way things are going, we'll need five years to reabsorb the 26,000 demobilised fighters we have. Five years is a long time, will they want to wait?" he said, suggesting that each be given a 500,000 CFA franc ($1,047) one-off "safety net" payment. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/) (Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Janet Lawrence)

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