This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Today's Ivorian press critically looked at recent calls from the ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) for the completion of the identification program before the coming general elections. Dailies also said that bank governors from Francophone Africa are meeting in Abidjan to evaluate the impact of the global economic recession on African economies. Reports on President Laurent Gbagbo's recent visit to Doha, Qatar; the cost of the redeployment of public administration in the former rebel-held territories; and a roundtable discussion on civic education organized by Cote d'Ivoire's International Visitors Association (IVLP Alumni Group) were also major subjects in the Ivorian dailies.

1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily): The disagreement between the ruling FPI party and the New Forces over the disarmament of former rebels was again a subject of a front-page story in this paper. It quoted Chairman of Cote d'Ivoire's ruling party Pascal Affi N'Guessan as calling for "the suspension" of the voter registration program in the former rebel-held territories (central, northern and western Cote d'Ivoire) on the grounds that "there is an environment that is favorable to fraud and corruption." According to the paper, Mr. N'Guessan was speaking yesterday after a meeting with the Independent Electoral Commission, the body charged with the organization of the coming general elections in Cote d'Ivoire. In response to the ruling party's concerns, the electoral commissioner reportedly said: "All these preoccupations will be examined in order to find appropriate solutions."

2. In a separate story, Fraternite Matin wondered how the electoral commission would resolve the current political stalemate. In an effort to propose a solution to the current crisis, the paper published the code of ethics signed by Cote d'Ivoire's key political players. It also noted that by signing this document the parties are bound to create a political environment conducive to cohesion and national concord. To conclude, the paper recalled the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's call for the respect of this code and hoped that "the UN Secretary General did not preach in a desert."

3. Another prominent story in Fraternite Matin said that the next meeting of the committee overseeing the Ouagadougou Political Agreement will settle the issue over the identification and disarmament process. The paper said this was announced yesterday by the Burkinabe Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Bedouma Yoda after meeting with Ivorian political stakeholders including President Laurent Gbagbo.

4. Soir Info (an independent daily): In a front-page story, the paper reported that the Ivorian opposition figure Alassane Dramane Ouattara, who was reacting following a disagreement between Cote d'Ivoire's ruling party and the New Forces over disarmament, said "I'm surprise by this debate." In a related comment, the paper suggested that President Gbagbo and his Prime Minister Guillaume Soro are what it called "the natural leaders of the ruling party and the New Forces," and therefore, "they have the responsibility to resolve the difference."

5. Still on reaction over FPI's demand for the disarmament before the elections, Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) carried a banner headline saying that Mr. Ouattara rejected the demand. "The Ouagadougou Political Agreement has not made provision for disarmament before the elections," the paper further quoted the Ivorian opposition figure as saying. The paper also quoted a leading member of the PDCI-RDA, the former Ivorian ruling party, as saying that the FPI's demand is "intolerable."

6. On the same issue, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) announced that the Patriots [a movement close to President Gbagbo] are to stage a demonstration today at the Primature [the office of the Prime Minister] to demand the disarmament of the former rebels. The paper quoted one of the Patriots' leaders as saying: "We will go to the Primature to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister because he is incapable of implementing the Ouagadougou Political Agreement that recommends the disarmament of the rebels."

7. Regarding the voter registration exercise, Le Matin d'Abidjan (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that almost 2 million people have been identified and registered. According to the paper, this was announced by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI). The report also said that UNOCI will continue its efforts to pave the way for the long-delayed polls.

8. On economic issues, a report in Fraternite Matin said that governors from the Francophone African Group at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are meeting in Abidjan to evaluate the impact of the global economic recession on the African economy. In a related development, the paper quoted the governor of the West African States Central Bank (BCEAO), Henri Dacoury-Tabley, as saying that "no bank in West Africa (the CFA Franc zone) is in danger," as a result of the international financial crisis.

9. On another issue, Fraternite Matin reported that the Ivorian government will need about $86 million to finance the redeployment of public services throughout the country. The paper published an interview with the head of the program saying that the program, which is part of the peace process underway in Cote d'Ivoire, includes among other things the rehabilitation of infrastructures that were destroyed during the war in Cote d'Ivoire.

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10. A report in Notre Voie said that Cote d'Ivoire's International Visitors Association (AIVI)[note this is the IVLP alumni group] called for civic education among Ivorians to foster development. Members of this association made the appeal on December 3 when they gathered at the US Embassy in Abidjan for a half-day discussion on their role in promoting civic culture in Cote d'Ivoire.

11. Finally, Fraternite Matin said that President Gbagbo urged the management of Al-Jazeera to open a bureau in Cote d'Ivoire. The report said that the Ivorian leader said this during a visit to the international TV network in Doha, Qatar.