United States Embassy (Abidjan)
18 August 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 preparation of the upcoming presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire; the decision by the Ivorian government to allow five cabinet ministers to be heard as witnesses in the cocoa industry case launched in June; the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the African Communication Regulation Authorities Network in Abidjan; and plans by Libya to invest in the petrol industry on the African continent were the major stories in today's Ivorian press. A separate report will be prepared this week on reporting on the visit August 13-14 of Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt.
1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): A prominent story on the front page of this paper said that West African electoral commissioners meeting last week in Abidjan adopted an action plan aimed at harmonizing the mechanisms and principles for election management. The two-year plan, reported the paper, seeks, among other things, to introduce information technology into the electoral process; to find ways to secure the process; to reinforce the capacity of key players in the management of elections; and to resolve problems relating to funding of the elections in the region. The paper noted a general statement from the Electoral Commissioner in neighboring Burkina Faso emphasizing that "The electoral commission must be independent from the executive." The paper carried a commentary saying that West African countries must emulate "the models of electoral management put in place both in Benin and Ghana," which, according to the paper, are widely known to be "successful."
2. In a related development, in the weekend edition, Fraternite Matin reported on a meeting between President Laurent Gbagbo and the US Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, Wanda L. Nesbitt. The paper went on to quote the Ambassador as saying, "We talked about the need to move forward as quickly as possible with the preparations for the elections in order to meet the November 30 deadline."
3. Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party): A front-page story in this daily suggested that the plan to hold the upcoming presidential elections on November 30 "hangs in the balance." The paper also alleged that President Gbagbo, who is aware of this situation, is proposing what it called "a deal" to the Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro. The plan, hinted the paper, seeks among other things, "to enable Gbagbo to save his presidential seat and to increase his [Gbagbo's] chances of winning the forthcoming polls, which would finally be held in the first semester of 2009."
4. A few days after the Ivorian government announced its intention to allow five cabinet ministers to be heard as witnesses in the cocoa industry case, Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) carried a banner headline announcing that three ministers are likely to end up in jail, because of their "leading role" in the cocoa and coffee industry. However, the daily was not able to clearly name the three ministers it referred to in the story.
5. Still on the hearing of the government officials in connection with the investigation into the cocoa and coffee industry in Cote d'Ivoire, Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) suggested that the main target of the government's decision could be the Minister of Agriculture, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who is also the campaign director of the opposition figure, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, for the coming presidential elections. The paper went on to call the government decision "a strategy designed to destabilize Ouattara and his RDR party."
6. A front-page story in Fraternite Matin said that media gurus from around the world are set for a week-long conference in Abidjan to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the African Communication Regulation Authorities Network. The meeting will focus on the topic: "Regulation, Democracy and Good Governance," and will bring together 150 delegates from 31 countries.
7. Another story in Fraternite Matin said that African nationals living in the United States met over the weekend in New York "to work on a common economic ideal." The idea, reported the paper, was to set up an African Chamber of Commerce in the United States in order "to rebuild a new Africa."
8. Still on economic issues, Fraternite Matin reported that Libya Oil Holding, a Libyan gas cartel, is to extend its activities throughout Africa, including Cote d'Ivoire.
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