Choi meets
religious leaders

Le Nouveau
Courrier  –
At the end of a meeting with
the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte
d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, the Archbishop of Abidjan, Jean-Pierre Kutwa, said that he
was reassured. He said that UNOCI will be involved at all stages of the
elections. We will need its presence and its help. The Ivorian people can be
assured that by the grace of God, all the efforts made by men will produce the
desired results, Archbishop Kutwa said. He also urged the various presidential
candidates to ask their supporters to remain calm and serene for a peaceful
election. According to the Archbishop, the campaign was taking place in a very
peaceful atmosphere despite some strong language.

Threat on the presidential
election of October 31- Arms hidden, UNOCI asked to react.

Le Mandat  -
(...) A phone call from a
military source made this revelation. According to the source, arms have been
hidden in the shopping centre located in the newly constructed roundabout near
Grand-Bassam station in Treichville, (...). The real owner of the shopping
centre is one of the wives of the great chief. The same source suggested that
agents of the police station in Marcory were in charge of the protection of
these firearms. (...) These weapons (...) are intended to be used on the night
of October 29 to 30 next. (...) UNOCI which has raised the number of its
military personal with 500 additional men must react.

According to Lawyer Affoussy
Bamba, spokewoman of the Forces Nouvelles: "The Independent Electoral Commission
is the only institution in charge of the proclamation of the results of the
election" 

Nord Sud  –
The Forces Nouvelles take note
of the solution advocated by the Prime Minister, Secretary General of the Forces
Nouvelles, in connection with the proclamation of the results of the
presidential election on 31 October 2010 (...) The
Forces Nouvelles also take note of the communiqué of the Independent Electoral
Commission which takes into account the recommendation of the Prime Minister,
Secretary General of the Forces Nouvelles. The Forces Nouvelles understand the
IEC's solution and they encourage every Ivorian who loves peace to accept it.
The  Forces Nouvelles reaffirm that under the Ouagadougou Political Agreement
and its Supplementary Agreements, the only institution empowered to proclaim the
results is the Independent Electoral Commission and any candidate who violates
this rule will be viewed by the Forces Nouvelles and the national and
international Community as a troublemaker. The Forces Nouvelles remind everybody
that it is, therefore, in full sovereignty and responsibility that the
Independent Electoral Commission has adopted the procedure of voting on October
31, 2010 and also reaffirm that the central commission of the IEC is the only
structure in charge of the proclamation of the result. The Forces Nouvelles,
aware of their responsibility before the nation and before history, urge
Ivorians and populations living in Côte d'Ivoire to believe that nothing can
thwart the date of the first round of the presidential elections in Côte
d'Ivoire and invite them to trust the Prime Minister, Secretary General of the
Forces Nouvelles, who is doing his best effort to make sure that the
presidential election will take place in a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

Philippe Mangou,
Chief of Staff of the Security and Defence Forces, is bullish: "The borders and
airports will be closed"

Le Nouveau Réveil  –
The Army Chief of
Staff, Philippe Mangou,
yesterday held a press conference at camp Galieni in Plateau. He warned against
any disorder. Here is his full statement ... The Defence and security Forces of
Cote d'Ivoire which welcomes the peaceful and friendly atmosphere that prevailed
at the beginning of the campaign launched on Oct. 15, 2010, has observed the
following: 1- Posters of some candidates, when they are not literally destroyed,
are brushed with products of all kinds; 2- militants of political parties are
under threat in many parts of the country; 3- convoys of some political leaders
are attacked here and there; 4 - bloody clashes have even been recorded in
certain cities of Côte d'Ivoire... These acts are unacceptable from any point of
view. The Defence and Security Forces of Côte d'Ivoire have concluded that the
closer the date the more violence erupts. (...) The Defence and Security Forces
severely warn potential troublemakers and their sponsors during this crucial and
sensitive period in the history of Côte d'Ivoire. They will undergo the rigour
of the law. (...) The Defence and Security Forces assure the population that
they are determined to secure the entire electoral process. They therefore
invite them to vote massively on October 31, 2010 without fear.