I.Coast parliament leader Soro steps down ahead of vote

"I tender my resignation," Soro told lawmakers at a special session of parliament that he called.

The announcement came just over a week after President Alassane Outtara had trailed Soro's departure as president of the National Assembly, saying he "will resign in February".

Soro reputedly has a frosty relationship with Outtara, who pushed him to resign after he refused to throw his support behind changes to the ruling coalition.

Ouattara heads a new party, the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), which draws part of its name from founding president Felix Houphouet-Boigny and includes the president's Rally of Republicans (RDR) with other forces.

Soro was reportedly not keen on the change and is now expected to declare himself a candidate in the 2020 presidential elections.

"Refusing to resign would provoke an institutional crisis," said Soro, who served as prime minister between 2007-2012.

"We cannot risk the fragile peace... to hold on to a job."