United States Embassy (Abidjan)
29 January 2008
This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
The peace process underway in Cote d'Ivoire and the forthcoming presidential elections were the major items in today's Ivorian press. Newspapers also carried pre-event stories on the upcoming three-day congress to be organized by the Rally for the Republicans - RDR, the opposition party led by Alassane Dramane Ouattara.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): The paper reported that in the wake of the meeting of the CPC - a committee of Ivorian political stakeholders overseeing the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement -, Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro and the UN boss in Cote d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi met to discuss the financing of the DDR - disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program, as well as, the electoral process. Speaking after the meeting, Choi told reporters that "Peace and security" were also high on their discussions.
2. Soir Info (a privately-owned daily): In a front-page story, the former Ivorian President Henri Konan Bedie reportedly said that it would be possible to organize elections in Cote d'Ivoire without a total disarmament. The paper further quoted Bedie as saying: "We should recognize that there are many stumbling blocks on the way to peace. It is for that reason that we want to give priority to anything that concerns the election, because we think that this election will be one of the essential factors that could lead to peace."
3. In a related development, Soir Info carried a feature story explaining how the New Forces are "blocking" the peace process. The paper noted that the disarmament of combatants of the former rebel group and the redeployment of public services in the former rebel territories are yet to be completed. The paper asserted that the New Forces are just playing "delaying tactics." The paper concluded that "the delay on the part of the New Forces to implement the Ouagadougou Political Agreement is in total contradiction with the apparent enthusiasm being demonstrated by the political and the military leadership of the movement."
4. L'intelligent d'Abidjan (a privately-owned daily): The paper carried a prominent headline reading: "Bedie [Ivorian former President] accuses Gbagbo of blocking the peace process and the Ouagadougou Political Agreement." According to the paper, Bedie, who was talking to ONUCI-FM, the UN radio station in Cote d'Ivoire, expressed concerns about the implementation of this agreement. "There are still some sticking points, notably the terms of reference of SAGEM [a French firm that has been appointed to produce electoral lists for the upcoming elections in Cote d'Ivoire]."
5. With just a few months way for people to go to polls in Cote d'Ivoire, L'inter (a privately-owned daily) reported that authorities in the West African cocoa-rich country are concerned about the mayhem that is unfolding in Kenya after the controversial presidential elections in this eastern African state. The paper culled a story from the French weekly Jeune Afrique, which quoted President Gbagbo as saying: "Elections are not made to prepare a war. But elections are made to pre-empt a war." Gbagbo, who was addressing a rally, also warned: "Look at what is going on in Kenya. Ivorian political leaders should stop playing with tribalism... No ethnic group in Cote d'Ivoire can win an election."
6. As the RDR party is preparing for a three-day congress - set to begin on February 1, 2008 - ahead of the presidential elections, Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition party - the Rally for the Republicans - RDR), devoted columns to the Ivorian opposition party and its leader Alassane Dramane Ouattara, one time Prime Minister. After calling Ouattara "a technocrat", the paper, told readers about Ouattara's "immense contributions" to Cote d'Ivoire's development. The paper concluded that "ADO" - as Ouattara is affectionately called - is the most marketable candidate for the race.
6. Speaking on the RDR's political program, a leading member of the party told Fraternite Matin that the leadership will use the coming congress "to rejuvenate" the rank and file of the party. The congress will also elect a new leadership, notably its president, who will then name the party's executive members, reported the paper.
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