United States Embassy (Abidjan)
8 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.
The electoral registration and identification process; the presidential election deadline; and the trial concerning the dumping of the toxic waste in Abidjan in August 2006 are the main subjects in today's Ivorian dailies.
Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) released an interview with Mr. Yapo Eugene (the Secretary General of the National Statistics Institute). He explained the reasons for the absence of the Institute agents at the electoral registration sites. The lack of technical equipment, security problems, and financial problems are, according to the paper, the main reasons Mr. Yapo gave to justify the inability of the Institute's agents to be present in the electoral registration sites. Mr. Yapo is also quoted as saying that those difficulties were addressed by the government and the agents of the National Statistics Institute were able to join the registration sites. The daily also reported on the meeting between the president of the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission and the mayors of Abidjan. The paper said that the president of Commission urged local authorities to get involved in the electoral registration process.
Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI) said that some weak points of SAGEM Security (the French company in charge of the technical aspect of the electoral registration process) were noticed in some of the registration centers. According to the paper, the slowness of the operation which prevents many petitioners from being registered and the shortage of registration papers are the main hindrances to the success of the process.
Nord Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) also exposed some obstacles to the effective implementation of the electoral registration process. According to the paper, many petitioners were rejected due to some abnormalities relating to their papers. The article further explained that those petitioners may be deprived of their voting rights because of the absence of the National Commission of Identification Supervision agents who could help resolve these irregularities. The daily also reported on the meeting Mr. Beugré Mambé (the president of the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission) had with the mayors of Abidjan. Mr. Beugré is quoted as saying to the mayors: "I can assure you that the electoral registration process will be implemented in total transparency."
Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) reported on a press conference delivered by Mr. Alphonse Tiorna Soro (the president of a civil society movement) appealing to both the ruling FPI and the opposition RDR parties to avoid any speech or action which could put at risk the electoral registration process.
L'Inter (an independent daily) said that the New Forces deplored the obstacles to the effective implementation of the electoral registration process. The paper stated Mr. Alain Lobognon (the head of the communication committee of Prime Minister Soro) as saying: "The New Forces will take action against any activity aiming at disrupting the electoral registration process."
Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI) denounced the insecurity in the electoral registration centers due to the absence of the Integrated Command Center staff members. The paper also expressed its concern about the proper organization of the presidential election without the effective disarming of the New Forces soldiers.
On the subject of the presidential election deadline, L'Intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) , Le Patriote ( a daily close to the opposition RDR party) , Le Jour Plus (a daily close to opposition) and Nord Sud Quotidien ( a daily close to opposition) released an interview from Dr. Allassane Ouattara (the leader of RDR party) as saying that the deadline of November 30th can't be met because of the slowness in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement and the obstacles in the electoral registration process. He is said to be expecting the electoral commission to propose a new realistic date.
Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) reported on the law case concerning the dumping of the toxic waste in Abidjan in August 2006. The daily said that the TRAFIGURA Executives Officers should appear before the court to tell the truth about the dumping of the toxic waste. L'Intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) reported that the Executive Officers of the Ivorian Refinery Company and PETROCI who were said to be involved in the toxic waste case successfully proved their innocence before the court.
Nord Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) published an article saying that the Counsel of Defense requested the postponement of the toxic waste trial due to the absence of Mr. N'Zi Kablan (the Executive Officer of Puma Energy, the Ivorian branch of the Dutch Company TRAFIGURA). According to Le Patriote (a daily close to opposition RDR), Mr. Amondji Pierre (the Governor of Abidjan district) rejected any charge of complicity in the dumping of toxic waste in Abidjan. On the same subject, Notre Voie ( a daily close to the ruling FPI party) quoted Mr. Amondji as stating that he has never given any agreement to Tommy company ( the company which dumped the toxic waste in different sites in Abidjan).
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dailies reported on the forthcoming presidential election in the United States.
Le Jour Plus (a daily close to opposition) said that Jerome Corsi, the author of an Anti-Obama novel, is about to be expelled from Kenya. His novel portrays candidate Obama as a radical leftist, a drug addict and a Moslem trying to hide his religious beliefs. However, the paper added that the national authority argued that Mr.Corsi's expulsion is not related to the content of his book but to his infraction of Kenyan immigration laws.
Fraternité Matin (a state owned daily) reported on the second presidential debate between candidates McCain and Obama, saying that McCain promised his supporters to reveal the hidden face of Obama and to catch up in the opinion polls.
Soir Info (an independent daily) said that the advance of Obama in opinion polls was strengthened after the second presidential debate held yesterday in Nashville.
ABIDJAN US EMBASSY
Fraternite Matin (a state owned daily), Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to the ruling FPI party), and Le Temps (a daily close to he ruling FPI party) reported on an award ceremony for the best Ivorian secondary school students for the year 2008. Ms. Jessica Leslie Gnako, daughter of Cultural Affairs Specialist Angele Gnako, won the prize in her grade for the District of Abidjan for the highest score on the science Baccalaureate examination and also the prize for the best overall grade point average of any high school student in Abidjan.
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