Women and electoral process

Soir Info  –
The Special Representative
of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, on
Wednesday highlighted women's central role in the Ivorian electoral process.
Speaking during a meeting to exchange views and information with female members
of civil society organizations and political parties, Mr. Choi, who was
presiding over the meeting, deplored the fact that few Ivorian women participate
in decision-making processes that are related to the crisis-resolution. He
encouraged them to participate in the electoral process as "voters and
candidates".

After the threats: Minister
Tagro pulls back and calls for negotiation

Le Nouveau Réveil -
(...) The Minister of Interior, on Wednesday, 28 April 2010, at his request, met
with Mr. karamoko Yayoro, Chairman of RJR, Kouadio Konan Bertin, Chairman of
JPDCI, Diomandé Mamadou Noel of JMFA, Yao Kouadio Seraphin, Chairman of JUDPCI,
regrouping the youth of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace
(RHDP). The meeting took place in the presence of the deputy Special
Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mr.
Abou Moussa and the Special Representative of the Facilitator of the Direct
Dialogue, Mr. Boureima Badini. The meeting revolved around the march which,
according to the print media, has been scheduled to take place on 15 May 2010
throughout the country (...).It was however essential to take particular measures
to ensure the maintenance of law and public order throughout May because of the
holding of the annual General Assembly of the African Development Bank (ADB) in
Abidjan from 27 to 29 May 2010. (...) The first agents of ADB are arriving in
Abidjan on 11 May 2010. If the march takes place, it will be done in their
presence with all the risks that involves. This is why the Minister of the
Interior asked his interlocutors to postpone the march. (...) his interlocutors
said they had just been informed of the working session (...) they will go back to
discuss it before giving a response to the Minister of Interior's request. The
Minister of the Interior accepted and the next meeting was scheduled for Monday,
3 May 2010.

Reactions after the meeting
with Tagro

Abou Moussa (UNOCI) - "No
decision has been made"

Le Nouveau Réveil
 - Mr. Desiré
Tagro, Minister of the Interior, invited us to take part in a meeting between
the youth of the RHDP and himself, as a Minister and the government's
Representative regarding the march of the youths, scheduled for 15 May. Though
the youths have not yet written formal letter to the Minister, the latter said
he heard of it in the newspapers. The youths promised therefore that they will
formally inform the Minister in the coming days. They also discussed the
possibility of postponing the march to after 30 May, taking into account ADB's
next General Assemblies which will be held in Côte d'Ivoire from 27 May. They
were informed of the issue on the spot. Therefore they were going to consider it
and come back next week to make a decision. I stress that no decision has been
made yet.

Karamoko Yayoro (Chairman of RJDP): "The march on May 15 will go ahead."

Le
Nouveau Réveil
 - We came to meet with the Minister of the Interior. We have
heard what he said. He talked about the situation. We have taken note. We will
report to our supporters and then we will see. However, right now, we would like
to insist that the march on May 15 is will go ahead. We will meet again with the
Minister of the Interior next week to give our position (...) while the African
Development Bank will be holding its General Assemblies for four days, Ivorians
will continue to suffer. Therefore, it is our duty to take into account this
aspect of the current political situation. You know that the crisis-resolution
process is blocked. The processing of appeals on the electoral list has not yet
started. We do not know when the final electoral list will be released, and when
the national identity cards and the voter cards will be distributed. We do not
know the exact date of the first round of the presidential elections. We had
been told that it would be in late April-early May. (...) We decided to discuss
these issues with the minister, and with the leadership of our parties.

Festival of Freedom of the FPI: The Coalition for Change (CPC) is planning to
organize a counter event.

Le
Patriote  -
The Ivorian Popular Front today starts "the festival of freedom" in Yopougon.
The Coalition for Change which is against this event, has decided to organize a
counter event to protest against, what it calls a fraud. The information was
given yesterday by the chief of this movement's executive board, Mamadou Touré,
during a press conference. "We have decided to organize a counter march against
the celebration of freedom and conferences on topics that will be developed by
the FPI, during this festival" he said. (...) For him, it was essential to
inform and educate the French public and the international community on the
unfolding tragedy in Côte d'Ivoire. (...) The speaker talked about the sit-in the
CPC is organizing on May 6 in front of the headquarters of the United Nations
Operations in Cote D'Ivoire (UNOCI). In this regard, he asked opposition youth
to protest against the fact that the presidential election was not held on the
indicated date. The sit-in is also to protest against the posting of the
definitive electoral list and demand a new date for presidential election(...)

Confrontation between the Forces Nouvelles and the population of Odienné - The
Integrated Command Center and the home of a rebel leader attacked, scores of
reported damage. Here is what provoked this conflict.

Inter
 – (...) we
were about to reach the worst on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 in the city controlled
by the warlord Osama bin Laden, the commander of Odienné on the behalf of the
Forces Nouvelles. His elements indeed responded to an attack by people who
demanded the release of their son who had been accused of robbery and was
arrested. According to many witnesses, the violent response of the ex-rebels
caused a lot of damage and plunged the city into an atmosphere of pitched
battle.