United States Embassy (Abidjan)
8 August 2007
This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
1. Today's Ivoirian papers critically look at Gbagbo's address on the eve Cote d'Ivoire's Independence Day. Commentaries also say the celebration showed signs of renewed unity in this West African State after four years on political crisis.
2. A banner headline that runs across the state-owned daily, Fraternite Matin, says, "Soldiers from both Cote d'Ivoire National Armed Forces and New Forces Armed Forces marched side by side in various cities of the country to mark the Independence Day." The paper publishes pictures of the Ivoirian President Laurent Gbagbo shaking hands with top military brass including former New Forces' leaders at the forecourt of the Presidential Palace in Abidjan. It comments, "The celebration of the Independence Day has showed signs of renewed unity amongst Ivoirians."
3. Gbagbo, speaking in a televised address on the eve of the celebration, is quoted as saying, "I want presidential elections to be held by this December." "I want free, transparent and open elections," Gbagbo is reported as saying.
4. As soldiers from both Cote d'Ivoire National Armed Forces and New Forces Armed Forces took part in the military parade organized as part of the Independence Day, Le Courrier d'Abidjan, a daily close to Gbagbo, says the former enemies signed "the reunification of the national army."
5. "Presidential elections are possible in December," writes Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party.
6. According to Nord-Sud Quotidien, a daily close to the opposition, "The big surprise of the celebration came as 60 commandos from the New Forces stole the show at the Presidential Palace, while the Ivoirian Chief of Staff and a New Forces' commander displayed their new ranks during the ceremony marking the Independence Day."
7. Reacting to Gbagbo's decision to "hold presidential elections by December this year," a leading Ivoirian opposition leader is quoted as saying, "It's the Independent Electoral Commission to propose a date for the poll."
8. Le Nouveau Reveil, a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party, says, "Gbagbo has 'torn' to pieces the Ouagadougou Agreement." It also describes Gbagbo's address as "an electoral trap."
9. "Gbagbo wants to thwart the Ouagadougou Agreement," says a front-page story in Le Patriote, a daily close to the opposition RDR party. The paper critically looks at Gbagbo's address pointing out that, "The President has a hidden agenda." Regarding the public hearings, Le Patriote says, "He [Gbagbo] has created a new crisis."
10. It quotes the Ivoirian leader as saying, "...The public hearings will be used to issue birth certificates. They will be used just for that. The holding of the public hearings will therefore not be the place to call on the populations to come and apply for certificates of nationality. For not having taken that into account the first time, for having wanted to give the public hearings an objective other than that provided for by the law, the public hearings operation failed."
11. 24 Heures, the daily close to the opposition comments, "Gbagbo took Soro [the Ivoirian Prime Minister] by surprise." It also quotes Gerard Stoudmann, the former UN Special Representative in-charge of Elections in Cote d'Ivoire, as saying, "Winning the upcoming presidential elections is for Gbagbo a question of political survival."
12. A front-page story in Le Jour Plus, says Gbagbo is preparing what the paper calls "another disastrous elections." In a separate development, the daily close to the opposition, quotes excerpts of a report documented by Human Right Watch accusing Cote d'Ivoire of "gross human rights violations."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 United States Embassy. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
