Crisis-resolution – Is Choi running out of breath?

Le Patriote  –

"For three years, elections have always been postponed. Are they
going to be held?" That is the question RFI asked the Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General in Côte d'Ivoire, Y. J. Choi on 12 March. Here is his
answer: "The definitive electoral list should be produced first in order to
decide on a date for the presidential election. It is true that we spent three
years on this, but we have also made a lot of progress, such as the provisional
electoral list which is well balanced and credible. So the last phase to reach
elections can be achieved". The conclusion is therefore disclosed: "The
provisional electoral list is balanced and credible", the diplomat acknowledged.
But he did not stop there. On 17 Mach, before the Security Council, the UN's
first responsible in Côte d'Ivoire gave the same assurances: The electoral list
of 5,300,000 voters was "credible and highly balanced". What we notice is that,
for some time now, the Refondation does not share this opinion. For this
regime's bigwigs, the list must be audited. (...) Every week Sokouri Bohui and
company are shouting to demand that the list be audited. And what does Choi say?
Naturally he remains silent. And we hardly understand the silence of UNOCI's
number one. He who said to the world institution's Security Council that the
Ivorian electoral list was "credible and reliable" seems to support the
Refondation's demands whose only objective is to delay the crisis-resolution
process in general and the electoral process in particular. 

 

What does the
United Nations want concretely?

Le Patriote  –
The United Nations is addressing the issue of Côte d'Ivoire's again. Its latest
Security Council has just passed a new resolution on Ivorian crisis. In its
content, resolution 1933 extends UNOCI's mandate for six months, maintains the
mediation of President Blaise Compaoré and demands the holding of presidential
election before 22 October 2010. Undoubtedly, if the latest resolution puts
pressure on actors of the national political life, it is true that it is an
ineffective measure. The international institution has adopted a lot of
resolutions regarding Ivorian crisis. A lot of decisions which did not really
produce the expected results. (...) By behaving in this way, it is just confirming
the saying by General Charles de Gaulle who described it, not without evidence,
as a "big machine" because of the difficulties in the implementation of its
resolutions. Finally we wonder what the UN really wants in Côte d'Ivoire. Why
does it not display firmness, as in other places to discipline the Refondation
which has been using cunning with Ivorians for five years? (...) Obviously, it is
no use to passing resolutions if their implementation is not effective on the
ground. (...)

 

Choi exchanges
views with Jordanian Commander

L'Intelligent
d'Abidjan  –
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General met on 1 July, at
Sebroko, a delegation of the Jordanian army led by its chief.

 

The Quai
d'Orsay's encouragements

Nord Sud  –
The Quai d'Orsay yesterday encouraged Ivorian authorities to do everything
possible to hold elections in 2010. "Resolving the Ivorian political crisis
demands the resumption of the electoral process, first, the production of a
definitive electoral list while respecting the past achievements. We encourage
Ivorian authorities to continue their efforts in this regard, with the
facilitation provided by President Compaoré and the United Nations's support",
said Bernard Valero, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

The African
Union demands IEC's timetable

Le Patriote  –
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), in its 234^th
meeting held on 28 June 2010, adopted the following resolution on the Ivorian
situation: The Council: (...) – asks the Independent Electoral Commission and
Ivorian parties involved to agree, as soon as possible, on an electoral
timetable and implement everything to organize the presidential election in
2010. The Council underlines the need for the parties to promote a climate that
favours the holding of open, free, transparent and regular elections; -
reiterates his appreciation to President Blaise Compaoré, Facilitator of the
inter-Ivorian direct dialogue, for the efforts he continues to deploy with a
view to the full implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its
complementary agreements and encourages him to continue and intensify his
efforts for the quick resolution of the difficulties facing the holding of
elections in 2010 (...) 

 

The simultaneous disarmament of
the two forces required

L'Inter
 - The 2010 session of the
baccalaureate, started on Tuesday, June 29. While in the Forces Nouvelles' zones
the exam was taken by students in a peaceful atmosphere, candidates in the
government's zone were disturbed by gunmen. As a matter of fact, candidates at
various examination centres were threatened by these gunmen. Ivorians were
surprised and disappointed to learn that these gunmen were the so-called elite
unit of the gendarmerie who wanted their hierarchy to pay their allowances
arrears. So after brawling in bars with resulting in the loss of human life, the
gendarmes have decided to attack students forgetting that these students, who
are taking their exam, are their little brothers and their children (...) this
incomprehensible attitude of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) inevitably
highlighted the question of disarmament of the men of General Mangou. In fact,
the Ouagadougou Political Agreement clearly stated that the disarmament of the
two forces has to be done simultaneously.

 

Disarmament, Demobilization and
Reintegration: The ex-combatants received the complement of their kits.

Fraternité Matin
 - Thirty-four (34)
ex-combatants of the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) on Wednesday
received the rest of their reintegration kits at the Management Office of the
demobilized (ODG) in Bouake. (...) The first head of the Management Office of
the demobilized, declared that these 34 ex-combatants had already received part
of their reintegration kits. He Added that since June 23, his structure has
transferred all the management matters of the demobilized of the zone 3 to the
regional office of demobilized (BRG), headed by the Commissioner General of the
Forces Nouvelles in Zone 3. (...) It is important to note that in June, 600
former rebel fighters joined the regular armed forces of Côte d'Ivoire.

 

A meeting on the electoral
process, yesterday, at the Prime Minister's office – Soro, Bakayoko run away
from the media.

L'Expression
 - After the President's
office, another meeting on the electoral process, was held yesterday at the
Prime Minister's office. At end of the meeting, Guillaume Soro and his guests
avoided the press. Meetings to fix the date of the presidential election follow
one another without any single progress. 24 hours, after a meeting with the
President of the Republic, the Prime Minister initiated another in his office,
with all the structures in charge of the electoral process. As expected, no
concrete decision came out of this meeting. As if they had passed the word, no
officials have wanted to speak to the press after the meeting. (...) Faced with
an angry press, Koffi Koffi Paul, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Prime
Minister improvised a brief statement for them: "(...) The Prime Minister has
asked the structures involved in the electoral process to implement the
decisions taken yesterday,(...)"

 

Appeals on the provisional
electoral list / Brahima Doumbia (RDR - Election): "The audit does not reject
anyone"

Le Patriote
 – According to one newspaper,
765,000 people could be rejected after the computer checking of the provisional
voters list. This information was denied by Mr. Doumbia Brahima, a collaborator
of Mr. Mamadou Sanogo, the RDR official in charge of electoral matters.  

Le Patriote:
According to a report published yesterday by a newspaper, 765,000 people could
be rejected after the computer check of the provisional voters list. Can you
confirm this information?

 Doumbia Brahima:
Yes, I read the same information. I do not know where it comes from because the
checking, the newspaper was talking about has not even been completed. I would
like to say that the audit is not an electoral process. So, this verification
cannot reject any voter from the electoral list.