Y.J. Choi
regarding presidential election – « I have been entrusted with the mandate to
certify the election result »

Le Patriote  –

During its traditional press conference yesterday at its
headquarters, UNOCI congratulated the organization of the first round of the
election. Here is the exchange between Y.J. Choi, Special Representative of the
United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire and journalists.

Y.J. Choi:
The presidential election held on 31 October is an historical step in the
Ivorian peace process. (...) I welcome the fact that the IEC announced the
provisional results of the presidential elections held on 31 October 2010 within
the pre-established deadlines. In this regard I strongly invite it to work
harder to reduce the waiting time for the results during the upcoming election.
In this connection, UNOCI reiterates its availability to provide support to the
IEC. Now the Constitutional Council has to receive the appeals and give its
ruling and announce the final results of the election held on 31 October. There
are legal and democratic means to contest the results. For this reason, I
reiterate my conviction that no candidate will resort to non democratic means to
express their positions on the election results.

Journalist's
question:
With regard to the upcoming campaign for the second round, will you have a
particular interest in the political rhetoric that will be used in this
campaign? I especially think about the issue of possible xenophobic or ethnic
speeches which we saw a little of in the first part of the campaign. Will UNOCI
have a particular interest in this issue?

Y.J. Choi:
In fact, in the conflicts and situations in the other African countries, such
cases have occurred. Difficulties based on inflammatory speeches related to
ethnicity and religion. Fortunately in Côte d'Ivoire, until now, we have not
experienced such a tragedy.
That
could be due to several positive elements.
(...) Catholics,
Muslims and Protestants have been working together to avoid this polemic. That
could have poisoned the political climate and the electoral process. I have
confidence in Ivorian political and religious leaders in this country.

Journalist's
question:
This is in addition to the previous question. Concerning the certification, is
this task the responsibility of the Constitutional Council or UNOCI's? 

Y.J. Choi:
This is a mandate I personally received from the UN Security Council as the
Special Representative.
(...)

 

« Minor
irregularities »

L'Expression  –
The United Nations does not like contestation. And when at the end of a long and
uncertain process like the one in Eburnie, the election is held. The objective
is to "validate things". To reach this objective, the fraud is changed into
"small irregularities" which can not modify the results. This is the way the
"big institution" functions everywhere.

 

European Union satisfied

Fraternité Matin
 –
The Chiefs of the European Union's diplomatic missions express
their satisfaction regarding the smooth organization of the first round of the
presidential election and congratulate the high sense of responsibility and
democratic awareness displayed by Ivorians. The Chiefs of the European Union's
diplomatic missions congratulate the Independent Electoral Commission for having
published the provisional results within the pre-established deadlines and
invite all the candidates and political parties to accept the results and resort
only to the appeals procedures provided by the law. (...) The Chiefs of the
European Union's diplomatic missions invite the Independent Electoral Commission
to take into account the recommendations issued by the European Union's
Observation Mission to remedy the few weaknesses registered in the first round
for the upcoming elections.  

 

His Excellency
Philip Carter III asks Gbagbo's contribution to peaceful election

Fraternité
Matin–
The United States Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Philip Carter III, yesterday
Thursday 4 November, met with President Laurent Gbagbo at his residence in
Cocody. After the meeting, the diplomat disclosed to the press that he asked for
the Ivorian Head of State's contribution to ensuring that the second round of
the presidential election in Guinea, scheduled on 7 November, is peaceful.
Philip Carter outlined that the situation in Guinea worries the United States
and Côte d'Ivoire.
(...)  

 

Sanogo Mamadou, National
secretary of the RDR in charge of the elections: "There were many intolerable
irregularities"

L'Expression–
The national secretary of
the RDR in charge of the elections
Sanogo Mamadou has expressed his solidarity with the PDCI in its exposure of
fraud at the polls on Sunday. Interview:

L'Expression: Do
you have any comment after the first round of the presidential election?

Sanogo Mamadou:
Overall we are satisfied because the bottom line is that today we find ourselves
in the second round. The real objective of the RDR was certainly to win the
first round, if not to be qualified for the second round with a score around 40
to 45%. But given the context in which this election took place, we believe that
this score is very significant. We should be satisfied, and then prepare the
second round. L'Expression: Have you found
irregularities?

Sanogo Mamadou: 
Like our partners of PDCI we are preparing to address the Constitutional Court
to follow up complaints of irregularities we found here and there. Our president
is a man of peace, he does not want to bog down the process, but in all cases,
we are required to file a complaint. (...)

 

Protest against
the provisional results of the first round of presidential elections: PDCI's
activists barricade streets

Le Mandat–
The provisional
results of the first round of presidential elections continued to generate a
strong reaction among the militants of PDCI-RDA. Yesterday, at their party
headquarters in Cocody, they were keen to loudly denounce what they called the
masquerade of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), because of the results
that put their candidate at third place and prevented him from reaching the
second round of the presidential elections. For them, this situation was
unacceptable. According to them the victory of their champion was stolen. From
PDCI's Headquarter to Place Saint Jean, the young militants of PDCI blocked the
streets preventing any movement of vehicles. The District of Cocody was besieged
by these disaffected militants who shouted their anger through peaceful means.

 

Ex-rebels terrorize
population in Séitifla

Fraternité Matin  –
Soldiers of the Forces Nouvelles armed with Kalashnikov and assault rifles have
besieged several villages in the department these days. The population of
Séitifla, a Sub-prefecture of the department Vavoua waited in fear for the
announcement of the provisional results. Indeed, elements of the Forces
Nouvelles armed with Kalashnikov and assault rifles besieged some villages in
that locality. The insurgents, who came, in large numbers, from nowhere forced
the Gouro population to hide at home. Joined yesterday by telephone, a resident
confirmed that information and revealed that: "Since Wednesday, people have not
stopped calling. It is reported that the elements of the Forces Nouvelles,
weapons in hand, made unannounced raids in some villages and bullied the
population" Our source said he has informed the Forces Nouvelles leaders of
Vavoua and also the Division of Human Rights of UNOCI, inviting them to visit
with him these villages. (...)

 

Hunting of Baoulé continues in
Haut Sassandra region.

Le Nouveau Réveil–
Konan N'Guessan Gervais, Aka Kouame, partially blind, Kouadio Yao Benoit were
injured during the attack against the Baoulés at Zépréguhé (of Kanonguhé camp) 7
km from Daloa on the axis Daloa-Abidjan. They are now in Daloa hospital. Some
Baoulés left their villages located between Gniboua saïoua and Daloa. Residents
of a camp Békipréa took refuge at Orly, a Prayer camp. On the axis Daloa - Man,
Residents of Loboguiguia, Gosséa, de Kéibla threatened to expel or burned the
homes of the aliens. All this happened because these people have refused to vote
for Gbagbo.

 

The Sms of the
LMP that incite violence

Nouveau Réveil

 –"Proud Ivorians, your country is not for sale, save your
country by voting for Côte d'Ivoire in the second round. Come and Join your
brothers in the operation, anything but Ouattara, the father of the rebellion"
Message ... containing dangerous germs of contempt, hatred. All packaged in a
clear call to violence.