United States Embassy (Abidjan)
3 October 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. For questions regarding this service, please contact: Mr. Teko Folli in the Public Affairs Press Office, TekoFX@state.gov.
The return home of the Ex Chief of Staff of the Ivorian Army, General Mathias Doué; the reaction of Sergeant Ibrahima Coulibaly (the leader of the dissident branch of the Forces Nouvelles - ex rebel group) to Prime Minister Guillaume Soro's invitation to reconciliation and the beginning of the electoral registration process are the major subjects in today's Ivorian dailies.
Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily ) reporting on General Mathias Doué's return to Cote d'Ivoire as a political activist says in its headline "The Ivorian Renaissance Congress requests General Doué's candidacy in the forthcoming presidential elections". The paper later explains that the Ivorian Renaissance Congress (a new political party) wants General Doué to be its candidate for the next presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire. According to the paper the members of this political party are convinced that General Doue is the only alternative for stability and prosperity in Cote d'Ivoire.
The paper quotes General Doue as saying in a telephone conversation "I am ready to serve my country with loyalty; I am coming back home very soon."
L'Inter (an independent daily) quotes General Doué as declaring "I am coming back home on October 20th, 2008". The secretary general of the Ivorian Renaissance Congress, Mr. Bah Enoch, is quoted as stating"General Doue embodies the hope for a blissful future ...".
Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) says in a headline "General Mathias Doue confirms his candidacy in the presidential election." The paper quotes the heads of the Ivorian Renaissance Congress as accusing the ruling FPI of being responsible for all the misfortunes of Cote d'Ivoire and stating that only General Doue can change things. In a related analysis the paper questions General Doue's morality and loyalty. For the paper he is an author of a military coup and a betrayer.
Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) reporting on this event quotes the secretary general of the Ivorian Renaissance Congress as saying that his political party is threatened by the government which ordered them to stop any political activities. For him this measure of the Ivorian government is arbitrary and aims at muting his political party.
On the subject of the reaction of Sergeant Ibrahima Coulibaly to Prime Minister Soro's invitation to reconciliation Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the opposition PDCI party) quotes Sergeant Ibrahima Coulibaly as saying "I have never sent emissaries to meet Soro." In an interview he granted to the daily, the spokesperson of Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly is quoted as saying that the leader of the dissident branch of the Forces Nouvelles questions the sincerity of the Prime Minister's invitation.
Soir Info (an independent daily) says that Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly and his men denied the declaration of Prime Minster Soro saying that he received some emissaries of Ibrahima Coulibaly. According to the paper Sergeant Coulibaly and his men considered the statement a strategy to hide the crisis among the new forces.
L'Inter (an independent daily) quotes Mr. Ben Rassoul Timité, the spokesperson of Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly, as stating "This declaration of the Prime Minister Soro seems like a trap."
Tackling the subject of the beginning of the electoral registration process, Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) reveals that access to some electoral registration centers has been refused to the staff in charge of the process. In a related analysis the paper denounces several hindrances to the implementation of the electoral registration process.
Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI) declares in a front page banner "Some serious irregularities are observed in the electoral registration process." The paper releases an interview with the election specialist of the ruling FPI as saying that most of the staff in charge of the electoral registration process are composed of members of opposition parties and that the National Statistics Institute is not represented in the electoral registration centers. For the paper these shortcomings of the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission could jeopardize the whole process.
"National Statistics Institute sabotages the electoral registration process" says Nord Sud (a daily close to the opposition). In a related analysis the paper argues that the National Statistics Institute has many weak points which hinder the implementation of the registration process. The paper even suspects the institute of having misused government funding amounting to 2 billion CFA F.
Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to opposition PDCI party) reveals there were yesterday stormy discussions between the different structures in charge of the electoral registration process in a bid to guarantee the success of the process.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Le Jour Plus (a daily close to opposition) reports on the current financial crisis in the USA. The paper says that Wall Street has not yet recovered from the crisis in spite of the Senate vote to adopt the Paulson Plan.
Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) reports on the forthcoming presidential election in the USA . The paper quotes a Washington Post poll as indicating that both Democratics and Republicans doubt Sarah Palin's ability to be Vice President because of her lack of experience.
On the same subject, L'Inter (an independent daily) says that Barack Obama is taking advantage of the financial crisis to criticize the current administration and bolster his presidential campaign.
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