Choi and the civil society
express regret

Le Jour Plus  -
"The composition of the new Independent Electoral Commission disappointed civil
society and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General
for Côte d'Ivoire. It is regrettable that the Independent Electoral Commission
did not change its format which caused the different blockages in the
identification process. It stills excludes civil society in favour of the
political parties", the coordinator of Convention of the Civil Society, Dr.
Patrick N'Gouan stressed this week-end. The Special Representative of the United
Nations Secretary-General, Y. J. Choi, also did the same when he was reminding
everyone of women's crucial role in the Ivorian crisis-resolution after the
official presentation of the IEC's new office. "It is regrettable that we do not
have women in the new leadership; because women represent the future of the
economic and social development. (...)" noted the Chief of the United Nations
Operation in Côte d'Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, during a meeting held with the
Coordination of Ivorian Women for Elections and Post-Crisis Reconstruction
(COFEMCI-REPC). (...)"

Electoral timetable - Hamadoun
Touré (ONUCI): "The new leadership of the IEC will decide"

Fraternité Matin -
"(...) With regard to the electoral timetable which has just been postponed for
two months (end of April-early May), Hamadoun Touré said that all of this is
quite justified due to the difficulties facing the process. In addition, since
the new Independent Electoral Commission has just been established, we must give
time to the new leadership to work out this timetable. "If there is a change,
the new leadership of the IEC will decide", he said. On official travel on 25
February in Dakar for the 18^th meeting of the heads of the United
Nations peace missions in West Africa, Mr. Choi welcomed the fact that the
tension which arose during the two last weeks was decreasing".

Hope and danger on the horizon

Le Patriote  -
(...)The international community should face up to its responsibilities. Because,
let us remind it, that the political class accepted an exceptional extension of
Laurent Gbagbo's mandate under its consent. Resolution 1633 of the Security
Council which was adopted in this regard is very clear. (...) so he is at his post
thanks to the United Nations. So we do not understand the silence of the Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Y. J. Choi, when we know that he has
a role of certifier. The electoral list which is presently handled by the
presidential camp will be attested before being validated. A resolution is
needed to limit the transition's duration. But especially the duration of
Laurent Gbagbo's mandate as head of state. (...)"

UNOCI provides equipment for Agboville radio

Le Jour plus
 - "The United Nations
Operation (UNOCI), on Friday in Agboville, held an official handover of the
Radio station la Voie de l'Agnéby (RVA).
Thanks to the
financial support of 12 million CFA francs provided by UNOCI's Information
Office, this non-commercial radio was able to acquire advanced equipment that
will enable it to improve its performance. The head of UNOCI's delegation, Mr.
Cheick Tidiane Touré of the Public Information Division, said that the support
once again confirmed the strong relations between UNOCI and Agboville. "Today's
inauguration provides evidence that UNOCI pays significant attention to the
development of the Media as they are powerful tools to promote
peace and strengthen social cohesion," he said. Then he recalled that in this
period of the healing of hearts, the RVA was called to teach its listeners the
significance of the peaceful electoral environment, avalue, the mission
particularly cherishes. (...) "

Lida Kouassi: "The FPI will
not go to the elections before the national reunification"

Fraternité Matin
- "The Special Adviser to the President of the Republic and Deputy General
Secretary of  FPI, in charge of the post-crisis process monitoring, Moïse Lida
Kouassi, was the guest of the Coordination of the volunteer citizen
communicators for the re-election of President Laurent Gbagbo", last Thursday.
The former defense minister talked about "the crisis at the CEI and the issue of
elections." (...) what could be the consequences of the difficulty to solve the
CEI's equation on the next presidential election? To this question, the Special
Adviser to the Head of State believes that a "in a country scarred by an armed
rebellion and disfigured by a partition not yet overcome, it is impossible to
getaway from the chaos deliberately maintained by an enraged opposition, hastily
by organizing elections that everyone wants flawless...the FPI can not go to a
presidential election before the reunification of the country. (...)". He said
angrily.

Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph
Attoumbré of the ICC: "The elections will be secured in Côte d'Ivoire"

Fraternité Matin -"The
mission of the Integrated Command Center (ICC) in the context of securing the
electoral process." Dealing with this subject submitted to him,
Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Attoumbré said: "The elections will be secured in Côte
d'Ivoire" (...). In total, 8,000 soldiers, 4000 for each belligerent force, will
be deployed throughout the country. But so far, according to the communicator,
only 1,600 police and gendarmes of these two belligerent forces have been
deployed. According to Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Attoumbré "The deployment of
forces on the ground will gradually be done to minimize the cost of the
operation." He added that "all the forces present in Côte d'Ivoire will be
involved in the securing of the electoral process. Even the civilian population
will participate. Indeed the population has an important role in healing of
their hearts before, during and after the election." Talking about the new army,
Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Attoumbré indicated that 5,000 elements of the Armed
Forces of Forces Nouvelles will be recruited. With regard to the programme dd
(disarmament and demobilization), he stated that forces from three localities,
namely Odienné, Bouna and Mankono and self-defense groups have to be
demobilized."