The President of the Republic received the Linas-Marcoussis and Accra III accords Follow-Up Committee at the presidency of the Republic in Abidjan-Plateau on Monday 13 December 2004. It was led by Alan Doss, the deputy special representative of the United Nations in Côte d'Ivoire. During their discussions, the President of the Republic made it a point - two days to the date of 15 December 2004 fixed by the Resolution 1572 of the Security Council as the deadline when the signatories to the peace accords ought to have taken all the necessary steps to lift, each party as far as it is concerned, the obstacles that might hinder the implementation of the said agreements - to brief his visitor on how far they have been implemented.

Thus, taking stock of the legislative and constitutional reforms, the President of the Republic explained that first, as far he is personally concerned, he had all the bills resulting from the Linas-Marcoussis accords adopted at a session of the council of ministers and forwarded to the national assembly. Second, with respect to the parliamentary stage, all the bills have been passed with the exception of the bill amending and supplementing law 61-415 of 14 December 1961 on the nationality code as amended by Law 72-852 of 21 December 1972 currently being debated; the bill on compensation of war victims and the establishment, organization, allocation, and functioning of the National Commission for Identification, Rehabilitation and Reinsertion of War Victims, Displaced and Exiled Persons. The last two of these bills are included in the agenda of the current national assembly session, which will end on 17 December 2004.

The President of the Republic informed his visitor that he was ready to convene an extraordinary session to vote the laws that would not have been voted.

After making this point, the President of the Republic made it a point to bring the knowledge of the members of the follow-up committee that the political parties that belong to the G7 [pro-Marcoussis opposition coalition] are poised, based on their statements to the media, to reject the adoption of which was indeed their demand as the condition for any disarmament. Again, G7 vote would enable the attainment of the two-thirds majority of votes of serving MP's needed to pass the bill.

Furthermore, ignoring the wise and patient mediation of South African President Thabo Mbeki, the rebels have not only barred their ministers from participating in the government and ministerial sessions but, worse still, manifest a daily desire to secede.

The President of the Republic hereby requests the international community to ensure a stricter implementation of the Linas-Marcoussis and Accra III accords by utilizing all the means available to it to bring the political opposition and the armed rebellion, on the platform of the G7, to honor their part of the pledge they freely made.

The President of the Republic further recalls that it is important every signatory to the Linas-Marcoussis and Accra III accords should courageously and strictly implement these.

Thank you.