This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. For questions regarding this service, please contact: Mr. Teko Folli in the Public Affairs Press Office, TekoFX@state.gov.

The inauguration of SOTRA Industries, the first Ivorian buses and cars assembling unit; the aftermaths of the trial concerning the dumping of toxic wastes and the implementation of the electoral process are the main issues in the Ivorian dailies

Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) reporting on the inauguration of a bus and car assembling unit quotes President Gbagbo in a front page banner as stating "the era of industrial economy has come." President Gbagbo congratulated the heads of Sotra, the Abidjan urban transportation company, for their hard work in creating such a unit, which is a partnership between Sotra and a French branch of an Italian motor company.

Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) reporting on this event said that President Gbagbo committed himself to fund Sotra so that this new initiative could be successful.

Soir Info (an independent daily) in its report on the same event emphasizes President Gbagbo's speech and his "vision to turn Cote d'Ivoire into an industrialized country." According to the paper the President felt pride for the innovative undertaking of Sotra and he encouraged other Ivorian companies to follow this example.

"The buses made in Cote d'Ivoire are ready" Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) announced in a headline on the same story, also noting President Gbagbo's interest in the mission of industrializing Cote d'Ivoire.

On the subject of the toxic waste case, Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) releases an interview with Professor Boni Serge (the head of the presidential committee in charge of the management of the toxic waste crisis). The paper quotes him as stating "We have already indemnified 70 percent of the total number of toxic waste victims." Mr. Boni rejected any charge of laxity and complicity made by some victims against the government after the opening of the trial concerning the dumping of toxic wastes in Abidjan in August 2006.

Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the opposition PDCI party) claims to know that the indicted Executive Officer of Tommy (the company which dumped the toxic wastes in different sites in Abidjan) rejected any guilt before the Court.

According to the paper, he claimed that he was not aware of the danger of the waste and that he had been misled by Trafigura Company (the international company that sent the toxic waste to Abidjan).

Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) in its reporting on this issue says that the Executive Officer of Tommy wants an indictment of the executive's board of the Trafigura Company.

L'Intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) says that the Executive Officer's denial of guilt is only a strategy to delay the procedure since he had the means to detect the danger of the waste.

Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) reports that Mr. Choi (Special Representative of the Secretary General in Cote d'Ivoire) said "We shall take up the challenge of organizing open, fair and transparent elections in Cote d'Ivoire." According to the paper, Mr. Choi made the statement during an audience he granted to an association of women who are supporting fair elections in Cote d'Ivoire. Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) accuses Mr. Beugré Mambé (President of the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission) of having created 16 imaginary registration centers.

Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) says in a front page banner "SAGEM is summoned by Members of Parliament." In a related development the paper explains that the Ivorian Parliament summoned the different structures in charge of the electoral registration process to give some clarification about electoral registration and the general identification process for the Ivorian population.

According to L'Intelligent D'Abidjan (an independent daily) the Ivorian Members of Parliament require more information and clarification both about the electoral registration process and the implementation of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF EMBASSY ACTIVITIES

Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) reports on an activity held on October 26th at the American Embassy on "Cross Cultural Research" focusing on introducing Ivorian students to using the Information Resource Center to do online research on the U.S. other resources at the Information.