United States Embassy (Abidjan)
4 October 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. News reports say that the Ivoirian National Assembly reconvened yesterday as part of its 2007 second ordinary session. Dailies also comment that the government in Cote d'Ivoire has started consultations with the principal political groups in the country in a bid to speed up the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement.
2. A front-page story in Le Front says, "The Ivoirian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, who is committed to successfully organize the public identity hearings, has now obtained the support of the various political parties."
3. "The Ivoirian Workers Party (PIT), the Rally of the Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) - an opposition coalition - and the National Congress of Resistance for Democracy (CNRD) - an alliance of political parties and movements supporting President Laurent Gbagbo - are all committed to throw their weights behind the government in order to push forward the public identity hearings," reports the daily close to the New Forces. According to the paper, "The decision was taken following a series of meetings yesterday with Soro."
4. Telling readers the real motive behind these meetings, 24 Heures, a daily close to the opposition, says, "Party leaders used these discussions to express their concerns regarding the delay in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement and the redeployment of the government administration throughout the country." The parties, reports the paper, pointed out that, "The redeployment of the government administration is the bedrock for the success of the public identity hearings."
5. 24 Heures however carries a banner headline alleging that, "The Ivoirian Interior Minister, Desire Tagro, continues to drag foot as far as the redeployment of the sub-prefects is concerned." "Despite a meeting between Gbagbo and Soro over this issue, the sub-prefects are still lying idle in Abidjan," notes the paper.
6. Speaking after the meeting with the premier, Mrs Boni Claverie, a leading member of the CNRD, is quoted by Le Courrier d'Abidjan, as saying, "Our concerns have been accepted."
7. "The PIT, RHDP and CNRD have expressed satisfaction with the good start of the public identity hearings," writes Notre Voie, a daily close to the ruling FPI party. According to the paper, "The Integrated Commending Center (CCI) - an Ivoirian government and New Forces joint security unit - deployed yesterday a large number of soldiers tasked to ensure security during the public identity hearings."
8. Speaking to Fraternite Matin, a state-owned daily, the spokesperson of the RHDP, Alphonse Djedje Mady said: "The most important is to avoid that the public identity hearings are marred with violence."
9. In a bid to sensitize the population to turn out en masse during the public identity hearings, the Justice and Human Rights Minister, Kone Mamadou, yesterday urged civic groups to actively take part in the awareness campaign in order "to ensuring the success of the peace process," reports Fraternite Matin. "Go and tell your supporters to get involved in this process," the minister reportedly told representatives of the civic groups during a meeting yesterday in Abidjan.
10. "We'll go to poll with a clean voter's register," Le Temps quotes Gbagbo as telling a political gathering yesterday.
11. In a related development, Le Jour Plus, a daily close to the opposition, announces that, "The peace process may slide into difficulties due to profound disagreement between the Ivoirian president and his prime minister over the public identity hearings."
12. Le Jour Plus explains that, "The truth is that the presidential camp has never accepted that the public identity hearings should be conducted before the disarmament of the ex-combatants." For the ruling FPI party, the paper comments, "The disarmament process should be a precondition for any programs that should be carried out as part of the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement."
13. A front-page story in Fraternite Matin says, "The Ivoirian National Assembly, which reconvened yesterday, demanded a clarification from the government after the latter signed an ordinance adopting the 2007 budget."
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