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Côte d'Ivoire: American Embassy's National Daily Press Review


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United States Embassy (Abidjan)

24 April 2008
Posted to the web 24 April 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.

L'inter (a privately-owned daily) today reported on Tuesday's crucial Democratic primary in Pennsylvania that saw the victory of Senator Hilary Clinton over her rival Senator Barrack Obama. The visit of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon to Cote d'Ivoire; and a plan crafted by the West African finance ministers to stem the high cost of food commodities in the region, are the other major stories in today's Ivorian newspapers.

1. A front-page story in L'inter (a privately-owned daily) said that Senator Hilary Clinton's victory in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania put her "back on the race for presidency," while her rival, Senator Barrack Obama vowed to take "his revenge" in the next Democratic primaries set for May 6 in Indiana and North Carolina. The paper's political reporter, Felix Diby Bony, who is in Pennsylvania as part of the Foreign Press Center Tour on Elections for Francophone journalists, said that Tuesday's Democratic primary in Pennsylvania could not enable the American First Lady to "kick out Obama," it will however allow her "to stay in the race." Bony said, Mrs. Clinton, who was close to defeat -- hence quit the race -- managed to win what was called "the Pennsylvania battle" by 55 percent against 45 percent for Obama. The Pennsylvania "showdown", commented Bony, will remain "engraved in the annals of the United States because of the great passion that it had triggered."

2. On the voting patterns during the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, Bony said that out of the total tallies, 56 percent of women versus 53 percent of men voted for Clinton. Forty-four percent of women versus 46 percent of men voted for Obama. Bony said that while the Pennsylvania win helped "boost not only the moral but also the popularity of Mrs. Clinton," it was also an opportunity for the Senator of Illinois - Barack Obama - to demonstrate that he was "a good looser by accepting defeat." According to Bony, Barack said "I thank all, but I want to congratulate Senator Clinton for her victory" to his supporters.

3. Back to Cote d'Ivoire, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) carried a picture of President Laurent Gbagbo, his Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro and Ban Ki-moon on its front-page with a banner headline reading "the UN Secretary General spent his first night in Abidjan." Another prominent headline said that "Ban Ki-moon is here to accelerate the peace process." According to the paper, an immediate aftermath of the UN Secretary General's visit to Cote d'Ivoire is "the signing by the Ivorian major political parties of a code of conduct." In the 20-article document, Ivorian political leaders pledged among other things, "to engage in the competition [coming elections] in a spirit of fraternity and loyalty." They also pledged to show a sense of "fair-play, to work for peace; national unity and social cohesion."

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4. Fraternite Matin also told readers that, the issue regarding the financing of the peace process ranked high on the agenda during talks between the UN Secretary General and the Ivorian officials. "Help us to respect the date," Gbagbo was quoted as telling his host, referring to the upcoming presidential elections set for November 30, 2008. According to the paper, the international community granted 27 million euros in aid to Cote d'Ivoire to help the country organize post-war elections. The announcement was made yesterday during Ban's visit to Cote d'Ivoire, where he praised the country's political stakeholders "for progress towards holding polls." According to the paper, the Secretary General said, "I note the consensus amongst the leaders."

5. L'inter reported that the UN Secretary General promised that the UN will "certify the forthcoming presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire." Reporting also on the UN Secretary General's visit to Cote d'Ivoire, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that Ban Ki-moon pressed the Ivorian Prime Minister and leader of the New Forces "to complete the disarmament process."

6. On the economic front, Fraternite Matin reported that ministers from the West African Economic and Monetary Union, meeting in Abidjan have hammered out a plan aimed at stemming the high cost of food commodities in the region. According to the paper, the multi-billion plan includes long-term agricultural projects that would help increase food production in the region, where most countries are facing a price hike crisis.


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