Abidjan — General Robert Guei, the military leader of Cote D'Ivoire ended his presidential election campaign as he started it, quietly carrying out his daily functions of head of state. While he met foreign dignitaries , his rivals in the 22 October poll were holding mass rallies or preparing for election day.
The other frontrunner, Laurent Gbagbo - who heads the Ivorian Popular Front party, the FPI, made two separate campaign stops . The first was for 'the youth' at the plush Hotel Ivoire overlooking the lagoon in Abidjan, where Gbagbo promised educational reforms and an emphasis on English as a second language, information technology and driving lessons.
The hotel rally resembled an election victory party, with the young people chanting the slogan, "Gbagbo will change things, Ivory Coast will change'". Speaker after speaker pledged his or her support, for the FPI leader who told an appreciative crowd that he was expecting a midnight phone call from General Guei, after the election , to acknowledge his defeat. This confident statement was greeted with loud applause and hooting. Gbagbo said he envisaged a "Senegalese" scenario where the defeated Abdou Diouf acknowledged the democratic victory of Abdoulaye Wade in a late night call.
Later, Laurent Gbagbo met more of his supporters in the FPI stronghold of Yopougon, many wearing t-shirts and head scarves emblazoned with Gbagbo's image, saying "You are my strength'. The oft-repeated reply was: "He is our hope, without him we are nothing."
In an unexpected move the youth organiser of the Rally for the Return of Bedie (Henri Konan Bedie who was overthrown in a December coup) said Gbagbo could expect their support. Mr Bedie who is in exile in France, has called for the Democratic Party to boycott the vote.
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Gbagbo has told his supporters that no Ivorian should have to live in exile and called on the former leaders, including Bedie, who fled Ivory Coast, to come home.
Another leading opposition party, the Rally of Republicans led by Alassane Dramane Ouattara, a one-time prime minister, has also called for a total stay-away from the polls. Ouattara, whose Ivorian nationality has been challenged, has also been barred from running for president.
General Guei has run a low-key campaign, in stark contrast to Laurent Gbagbo's high profile and highly visible rallies. Apart from the launch of his bid for the presidency the general has held just one short visit to a popular, but expensive, shopping centre in a wealthy suburb in Abidjan where security was tight.
After initially courting the former governing PDCI party, but failing to gain its support for his presidential bid, General Guei, presented himself, as the candidate of the people. His election campaign slogan is " My party is the people" and his posters are plastered all over the city.
Sunday will decide whether this soldier-turned-politician can hold on to the top job. Presidential candidates must secure 50 per cent of the vote to avoid a second round run-off election.
