Abidjan, 9 October 2008...In the context of his regular consultations with the leadership of political parties in Côte d'Ivoire, the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Y.J Choi, had a working meeting with Mr. Pascal Affi N'Guessan, the President of the Front populaire ivoirien (FPI), this morning.

Speaking to the press at the end of the 90-minute meeting, which took place at the FPI headquarters in Abidjan, Mr. Choi noted that they had discussed potential pitfalls that could delay the election process. According to Mr. Choi the main problems that could delay this process concern logistics and security.

Mr. Choi underlined the progress that has been made as well as the significant advances in the electoral process. "We have together overcome the political, financial, technical and judicial obstacles," he explained. Mr. Choi went on to call on all concerned parties to come together to guarantee the final phase of the process namely creating the conditions for peaceful and transparent elections.

Mr. Affi N'Guessan, the President of the FPI, who was leading a delegation that consisted of, among others, Mr. Lida Kouassi Moise, the Deputy Secretary General of the party who is responsible to follow the peace process, reunification of the country and reinsertion of ex-combattants, and Mr. Sokouri Bohui, who is in charge of elections for the party, from his side stated that a number of weaknesses in the launching of the identification and electoral census process had been seen. He noted two examples, the necessary documents that need to be brought by applicants, and the complexity of the form that needed to be filled in at the Collection Centers. "We have discussed with the Special Representative, and it is essential that we pull together our resources, in order to address all of the difficulties that have arisen, and that we guarantee that when this process is expanded nationwide, all of these difficulties are resolved, and a reliable census can be completed," explained Mr. Affi N'Guessan.

The Special Representative was accompanied by the UNOCI Force Commander
General Fernand Amoussou, the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division Mr. Ahmedou El Becaye Seck, and the head of the Political Affairs Division of UNOCI, Mr. Modem Lawson.