November 19, 2009

The Ivorian electoral process and reactions after President Laurent Gbagbo approved the ranks of former rebel leaders were the major issues in today’s Ivorian press. Financial assistance aimed at supporting efforts to revive Cote d’Ivoire’s economy and other development-related assistance, as well as the case of top Ivorian officials jailed for their alleged implication in a financial scandal that rocked the cocoa and coffee industry, were other top issues in the press.

1. A report in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin said that the United Nations Envoy in Cote d’Ivoire, Y. J. Choi, called Wednesday for the immediate display of the provisional voters’ lists. “There is a need to display the electoral list as soon as possible so that the settling of the contentious issues – a crucial stage – can begin,” the paper quoted Choi as saying yesterday in Abidjan after a meeting with the leader of the opposition RDR party, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, who is also a candidate in the up-coming presidential elections. Discussions between Choi and Ouattara, the paper said, focused on the display of the provisional voters’ lists, United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire assistance regarding security during the electoral process and the certification of the process. According to the paper, the U.N. envoy expressed optimism about the process but explained that the decision to fix a new date for the polling is the responsibility of the CPC – a committee overseeing the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement – that is due to meet next week in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

2. “ADO [Alassane Dramane Ouattara] demands U.N. to sanction those responsible for the delay of the presidential elections,” said Le Patriote (a daily close to the RDR party), reporting on the meeting between the U.N. envoy and the Ivorian opposition leader. Regarding the new date of the polls, the paper quoted the leader of the RDR party as saying: “We’re ready to accept a few weeks’ delay,” and added: “We’re making an important concession.” In a related development and in a bid to stop what it called “a campaign of disinformation,” the paper confirmed that the name of the leader of the RDR party is on the voters’ list.

3. With more on the electoral process, Fraternite Matin and L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) prominently published a list of 415 centers where the electoral commission will be receiving contentious issues after the display of the provisional voters’ lists. In a front-page story, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the Ivorian Prime Minister) sounded sceptical about the display of the electoral lists this week. According to the paper, the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is now training local electoral commissioners on how to address issues relating to the petitions filed by those who do not find their names on the electoral lists. The paper, which attributed this information to the CEI, further explained that this training has become necessary as a result of the huge number of potential voters whose name were not found on the electoral lists.

4. In a front-page story, Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) blamed the delay in the display of the electoral list on financial problems. “The real problem facing the CEI today (…) is the lack of money… The electoral commission needs money to fabricate the boards, tables, computers and printers that will be used to display the provisional voters’ lists,” the paper quoted an official of the electoral body as saying.

5. While preparations for Cote d’Ivoire’s crucial presidential elections are underway, a banner headline in Fraternite Matin said that Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is concerned about whether candidates in the up-coming elections would accept the results of the polls. The paper quoted Gbagbo, who was speaking yesterday in the northern Worodougou region, as saying: “The recognition of the results is the other challenge for Cote d’Ivoire.” The question on whether Ivorian presidential hopefuls would accept the results of the next elections was also the subject of a front-page story in Soir Info (an independent daily) that quoted the leader of RDR party as calling on each candidate “to accept the verdict of the ballots.” On the same issue, L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) quoted Karamoko Yayoro, the leader of JRDR – the youth wing of the opposition RDR party –, as warning the Chairman of the Constitutional Council: “We won’t accept any holdup of the victory of ADO [Alassane Dramane Ouattara].” 

6. In the wake of President Gbagbo’s decisions approving the ranks of former rebel leaders, Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) suggested that the disarmament, the stock-piling of weapons of the two former belligerents, and the disbandment of the former New Forces’ fighters remain major stumbling blocks on the way to peace in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper went on to demand the immediate resumption of these operations, that, it said, should be conducted by the Center of Integrated Command (CCI) – an 8,000 member joint government and New Forces security unit tasked with ensuring security during the electoral process – under the supervision of the impartial forces.

7. On another development, a front-page story in L’intelligent d’Abidjan announced that the International Monetary Fund’s executive board approved the disbursement of $57.3 million USD to Cote d’Ivoire. According to the paper, the grant came after the IMF’s executive board waived two criteria that the country failed to meet on the overall fiscal balance and on the non-accumulation of new external payment arrears. On a similar note, Fraternite Matin reported that the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has granted FCFA 5 billion (about $11 million USD) to Cote d’Ivoire in a bid to support the country’s efforts to reduce poverty and rehabilitate agricultural projects. The agreement was signed yesterday in Abidjan by a representative of the Ministry of Finance and an official of FIDA, the report said.   

8. A front-page story in Fraternite Matin said that eight of the Ivorian top officials who were jailed for their alleged implication in a financial scandal that rocked the cocoa and coffee industry, organized a sit-in protest yesterday in MACA – a prison in Abidjan. The protest, the paper said, was to press for their release. According to the paper, a court in Abidjan recently turned down a demand by the detainees – incarcerated since June 2008 without trial – to be released on bail on the grounds that investigations are still underway. In a further development, Soir Info hinted that top government officials in the current administration are likely to be found guilty of wrongdoing if the investigations into the cocoa and coffee scandal were to continue.        

November 17, 2009

The distribution of the provisional voters’ lists to polling stations around Cote d’Ivoire was again the major issue in today’s Ivorian press. Commentaries relating to the continuous delay of the presidential elections and the obstacles hindering the disarmament process were also the subjects of front-page stories in the dailies. President Laurent Gbagbo’s state visit to the northern region, a clash between former rebels and a local community in the western region of Man, ethnic violence in the western city of Bangolo, a campaign for tolerance in Cote d’Ivoire and a strike called by secondary school teachers were the other prominent issues in the press.

1. A prominent story in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin announced that hard copies of the provisional voters’ lists will be displayed by the end of this week, as the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) has completed the distribution of the lists across the country. The paper, which attributed the news to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), quoted the spokesperson of the electoral commission, Bamba Yacouba, as saying: “All the provisional voters’ lists have been sent to the local electoral commissions. At this stage, we’re ready.” According to the paper, access to the provisional voters’ lists is now easy through SMS, telephone, and internet. However, the population outside Cote d’Ivoire’s capital Abidjan is pressing the electoral commission to publish hard copies of the electoral lists, because such access is not easy for people living in remote areas, the report said.

2. A commentary in Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the Ivorian Prime Minister) suggested that the recent delay of Cote d’Ivoire’s much-awaited presidential elections, which have been postponed several times since 2005, could result in another increase in the budget for the polls. According to the paper, the Ivorian electoral process, which was described as one of the most expensive ones, is said to cost nearly CFA 200 billion (about $457 million USD), most of which went for the identification process. The paper went on to explain that the delay is likely to cost the state more money, nearly FCFA 2.5 billion (about $5.7 million USD) a week. However, it quoted sources close to the electoral commission as saying that the “slight delay” in the country’s presidential poll would not result in any major increase in the budget.

3. In another development, L’inter (an independent daily) quoted the Prefect of Bouake – the former stronghold of the New Forces – as describing the delay in re-integrating former fighters as “a time bomb.” According to the paper, the government official was speaking at the graduation ceremony in Bouake a few days ago for former rebels who completed training organized as part of a government-backed national civic education program. With more on the disarmament process, Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) quoted Fofie Kouakou Martin, a military commander of the New Forces, as saying that the program was “a fiasco.”

4. Meanwhile a front-page story in L’inter said that a score of people were injured when former rebels recently clashed with the inhabitants of Tiakeupleu, a small community located in the western region of Man. According to the report, the incident occurred following a routine identity control by the former rebels. Another front-page story in L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) said that two persons were killed and many people were arrested following an eruption of ethnic violence in western Cote d’Ivoire over land issues.  

5. On a state visit to the northern region of Worodougou, President Laurent Gbagbo told the population that “if you see me going around with Soro [the Ivorian Prime Minister], it’s because the war is over,” reported L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily). As Ivorians are looking forward to going to the polls, Gbagbo called for “peace”, the paper said. “Gbagbo in Worodougou with open hands,” said a prominent headline in Fraternite Matin that quoted the Ivorian leader as saying: “I’m here to deliver a message of peace.” While pro-government newspapers saw Gbagbo’s visit to the north as “a peace campaign,” Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party), accused the Ivorian leader of using state money to pay for his presidential campaign. “There is no problem if the President of the Republic – at a normal period – decides to organize a state visit. Meanwhile, Mr. Laurent Gbagbo is a candidate in the up-coming elections. It is clear that it is the presidential hopeful who is visiting the northern region and this is not good for democracy,” Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) quoted the party’s spokesperson as saying about the presidential state visit.  

6. In another development, a report in Fraternite Matin said that the Ivorian popular singer, Oren’Tchy, has called for tolerance among the youth. Oren’Tchy, who participated in a U.S. State Department-sponsored IV program on “Promoting Tolerance Through the Arts,” was speaking at a press conference yesterday in Abidjan in connection with the commemoration of World Tolerance Day. “As artists, we have the duty to communicate with those who listen to us. We also have the duty to reconcile positions when there is a difference,” Oren’Tchy reportedly said as he launched “Tolerare,” a project, he said, is designed to promote peace among the youth in Cote d’Ivoire. 

7. Finally, Fraternite Matin reported that government-run secondary schools across the country were closed yesterday as a result of a strike called by the Secondary School Teachers Association. The strike, the paper said, was to press for the payment of teacher bonuses.   

November 16, 2009

Today’s and the weekend’s editions of the Ivorian press were dominated by the electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire, with a focus on the difficulties of the public in trying to access the provisional voter register through SMS, telephone, and internet. The dailies also talked about security issues and the re-integration of New Forces’ ex-combatants into normal life. President Laurent Gbagbo’s official visit to the northern regions of Cote d’Ivoire and an orientation program on studying in the United States organized by the American Embassy in Abidjan on November 12, 2009, were the other major items in the dailies.

1. A front-page story in Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) said that the independent Electoral Commission (CEI) – the body charged with organizing Ivorian presidential elections – has called on Ivorians to demonstrate a high sense of “discipline, civic mindedness and patriotism” as the electoral body is preparing to publish the hard copies of the provisional voters’ lists. The call, the paper said, was contained in a public statement issued Sunday by the CEI, which also urged the general public to keep vigilant in order to protect the voters’ lists that have been established after years of physical and financial sacrifices made by both the government of Cote d’Ivoire and the international community. The statement further informed potential voters who may have problems in checking their names on the electoral lists that the electoral body will start receiving their complaints starting this week.

2. A prominent story in the weekend edition of Fraternite Matin said that the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire-backed program aimed at distributing the provisional voters’ lists to polling stations around the country was marred by confusion in the economic capital of Abidjan. The paper further reported that access to the provisional voters’ lists through SMS, telephone, and internet is working. However, it noted that access is not easy but was quick to quote the spokesperson of the electoral commission, who reassured the general public that technicians are working against the clock to resolve the problems. The paper also brought forward the recurrent issue of security at the polling stations, where the provisional voters’ lists are being displayed. According to the paper, UNOCI’s forces are responsible for the security during the transportation of the lists, but there are no government and New Forces’ soldiers at the polling stations to take over from the UNOCI’s forces according to the mandate of the Integrated Command Center (CCI), which called for an 8,000 joint government and New Forces’ security unit tasked with ensuring security during the electoral process.  

3. While preparations are underway for the next presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire, L’inter (an independent daily) quoted the Ivorian Defense Minister, Michel Amani N’Guessan, who refuted rumors concerning plans to destabilize the Ivorian peace process. The defense minister, the paper said, was reacting after the training of some 1,030 New Forces’ soldiers and the promotion of new elements in the Ivorian national police. “Things are moving well. Cote d’Ivoire is committed to peace… There will be nothing…,” the paper quoted the defense minister as saying.

4. In a related development Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) reported that 802 former combatants have received their certificates in Bouake after completing  training organized as part of a government-backed national civic education program. Speaking at the certificate-handover ceremony, the Chief Commander of the New Forces’ Armed Forces, General Soumaila Bakayoko, was delighted, as the demobilized ex-fighters can now return to normal life and become soldiers for development, the paper said.  

5. With more on the New Forces, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the Ivorian Prime Minister) disclosed that President Laurent Gbagbo will sign today a series of decrees aimed at resolving outstanding military issues contained in the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. According to the paper, the decrees concern the ranks of the former New Forces military commanders, notably the confirmation of the ranks of general bestowed earlier on General Soumaila Bakayoko and General Michel Gueu by the New Forces’ leadership. The paper hinted that the presidential decisions will also concern the 5,000 Volunteers of the New Army to be drawn from the New Forces’ Armed Forces, and that the news about these decrees will be announced today during President Gbagbo’s official visit to the northern regions of Cote d’Ivoire. Speaking to Fraternite Matin ahead of the presidential visit, Commander Issiaka Wattao, a military leader of the New Forces, said: “The security of the Head of State will be manned with rigor.” 

6. Finally, a report in Fraternite Matin said that the American Embassy organized an orientation session on November 12, 2009 on studying in the United States for students and parents as part of its International Education Week Program. The positive report quoted the Embassy’s Student Advisor, Mrs. Nina Toyo, as saying that “studying in U.S. is very enlightening but it also offers the students an opportunity to share cultural values.”

November 13, 2009

Today, Ivorian press mostly reported reactions of political and civil society leaders following the postponement of the presidential poll. Dailies also talked about the upcoming release of the provisional voter list with the support of the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire as well as an overnight military security monitoring operation carried out by the Ivorian Defense and Security Forces. Other reports were on a workshop held by the United Nations Children’s Fund on girl’s education.

1. The much-delayed presidential poll initially slated for November 29, 2009 has been officially postponed, triggering mixed reactions and comments from the Ivorian political and civil society. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) noted that Mr. Akoto Yao Felix, an independent candidate running for election, criticized what he called “a lack of consistency” and called on the Independent Election Commission (CEI) to work out and elaborate a realistic timetable taking into account potential unforeseen setbacks.

In a related statement, Mr. Sokouri Bohui, an MP from the ruling FPI party, noted that the delay is to allow for a fair and transparent poll.”It is essentially due to technical hindrances,” he added.

2. Hard copies of the provisional voter list were handed over by the chairman of the Independent Election Commission to the top UN envoy in Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Y.J Choi last Wednesday. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) noted that as part of its logistic support to the electoral process, the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) is engaged in dispatching the provisional voter list nationwide. According to Mr. Ambroise Dzondhault, the UNOCI Operations and Logistic Coordinator, all means of transportation, including road, water and air will be used to successfully carry out the operation.”This exercise is due to be completed within two days,” he said.

Still on the provisional voter list, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) informed readers that, pending the publication of the paper format of the electoral register, the list can be consulted via SMS (Short Message Service), phone call, or via the internet starting today. For SMS consultation, potential voters are prompted to send an SMS to the number: 98.0.99 and either provide their name or the number on the registration receipt issued at enrollment. For phone consultation, requestors just have to dial 22 529.529 and online consultations are possible on the link: www.ceici.org, the paper added. 

3. The Ivorian Defense and Security Forces (FDS) recently carried out a military operation in the Banco Forest (in the northern part of Abidjan). The information was reported by Soir Info (an independent daily), which noted that more than 2000 army personnel participated in the exercise aimed at monitoring security in the area to prevent potential threats to the electoral process.

4. Finally, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently organized a workshop on girl’s education strategies. Reporting on the seminar, L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) noted that, Ms. Maarit Hirvonen, the UNICEF envoy in Cote d’Ivoire said that “efforts are still needed to achieve gender parity in primary school enrolments in Cote d’Ivoire.” “Only 1 out of 2 girls has access to school,” she added; hence her plea to the Ivorian government to support UNICEF’s actions in promoting girl’s education.

November 12, 2009

The electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire, especially the recent decision by the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission to postpone the Ivorian long-delayed presidential polls, made headlines in Thursday’s and Wednesday’s newspapers. Security concerns ahead of the Ivorian presidential elections and new developments on the violation of a U.N. embargo imposed on Cote d’Ivoire as well as the case of Guy-Andre Kieffer, the Franco-Canadian journalist who has been missing since April 2004 in Cote d’Ivoire, were the other major news in the press.

1. A prominent story in Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the Ivorian Prime Minister) said that the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) has finally confirmed that Cote d’Ivoire’s long-delayed presidential elections will not take place on November 29, 2009, as originally planned. According to the paper, this was announced during a press conference yesterday in Abidjan by the Chairman of the electoral commission, Robert Beugre Mambe, who said: “If we want to do a clean job that will allow all Ivorians to have their national ID cards and voting cards, we have to delay slightly the date of November 29.” Mambe reportedly added that “considering the remaining tasks before the elections could be held, notably the settling of contentious issues regarding the voters’ lists, the establishment of the final voters’ lists and voters’ cards and their distribution, it will not be possible to organize the elections on schedule.”

2. Reporting on the same issue, a prominent story in today’s issue of the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin said that the Ivorian electoral commissioner also used the occasion to reaffirm the “independence” of the CEI. “Gbagbo [President Laurent Gbagbo] never interferes in our business,” the paper quoted Mambe as saying. On the voters’ lists, Mambe, the paper said, announced that, they will be available as from Friday [November 13] on the web site of the electoral commission: www.ceici.org. Potential voters can also check their names on the lists by texting a message to 98000 or by calling a land phone line: 22 52 95 29 pending the displaying of the hard copies, the paper quoted the head of the electoral commission as saying.

3. With more on the electoral lists, Fraternite Matin’s Wednesday edition reported that the chairman of the electoral commission handed over the documents to the Head of the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), Y. J. Choi, on Tuesday. Quoting the electoral commission, the paper informed readers that out of 6,384,253 persons who were counted during the population identification program and the voter registration exercise, a total of 5,300,586 voters have successfully been registered after the data processing. However, the paper said, the case of some 1,033,985 potential voters still hangs in the balance.

4. In a related development Fraternite Matin reported that the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire yesterday began transporting the provisional voters’ lists to polling stations around the country. The paper suggested that the transportation of the voters’ lists marks an important step in the electoral process and will pave the way for the presidential elections. Meanwhile, the paper noted that after the official announcement of the delay of the elections, now the question is when the first round of the polling will take place.

5. “The polls will take place in 2010,” said a front-page story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) that attributed the information to Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa, a Roman Catholic Cleric. According to the paper, the religious leader was speaking yesterday in Abidjan on behalf of the Ivorian interfaith group after a meeting with President Laurent Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro on the electoral process. The paper quoted the cleric as saying that “the delay of the polls should not be blamed on Gbagbo or Soro, but rather on technical problems.”

6. According to Notre Voie, the electoral process, especially criticism from pro-opposition newspapers following recent decisions taken by the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, was also a major topic yesterday during a meeting between President Gbagbo and supporters. “I am proud of nominating Yao N’Dre,” the paper quoted the Ivorian leader as telling the gathering. This meeting was also the subject of a banner headline in Fraternite Matin which quoted Gbagbo as warning the Ivorian political leaders: “Don’t spoil our smooth peace process.” According to the paper, the Ivorian president, who was making comments on the speeches of some political leaders, asked them “not to prevent Cote d’Ivoire from resolving the political crisis.”

7. In another development, a prominent story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) hinted that the security of Prime Minister Guillaume Soro is under “serious treat” both in Abidjan and Bouake, the stronghold of the New Forces. According to the paper, the intelligence unit of the former Ivorian rebel movement is on alert trying to unveil what the paper called “a danger” hovering over their leader. Quoting sources close to the New Forces, the paper disclosed that two Angolan nationals believed to be on a “reconnaissance mission” were recently intercepted in Bouake by the army of the former rebel movement. The paper also mentioned another incident that recently occurred at Golf Hotel in Abidjan – where the Prime Minister is headquartered – that it quoted New Forces’ intelligence as describing as a “security threat.”

8. With more on the security issues, L’inter (an independent daily), in its Wednesday’s edition, said that the Ivorian peace process could be threatened again, referring to a recent United Nations’ report that “in both the government-held south and the rebel-controlled north parties are rearming or re-equipping with war-related material,” in violation of an arms embargo imposed on Cote d’Ivoire. The paper noted that no official reactions came from both sides to deny the report, which showed that the U.N. panel of experts was not just fooling around. The paper went on to wonder whether the parties, while implementing the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, were preparing for another war.  

9. Regarding the case of Guy-Andre Kieffer, the Franco-Canadian journalist, who has been missing since April 2004 in Cote d’Ivoire, a front-page story in Fraternite Matin said that Ivorian State Prosecutor, Raymond Tchimou, has charged one Mr. Alain Gosse, (a.k.a Zinsonni Nobila) – a presumed self-proclaimed eyewitness -- with “forgery and the use of forgeries.” According to the paper, the decision by the prosecutor to indict Gosse came a few months ago after the latter, in an interview with French TV, allegedly accused top Ivorian officials – including the First Lady, Simone Gbagbo – of causing the disappearance of the Franco-Canadian journalist. The paper said that after investigation, Alain Gosse who said a soldier in the Ivorian national army, turned to be “an impostor.”                      

November 10, 2009

Reports in today’s Ivorian press said that, after weeks of delay, the Independent Electoral Commission – the body tasked with organizing the up-coming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire – could publish the provisional voters’ lists this week. Commentaries in the dailies were also dominated by the prevailing political atmosphere in this country in the run-up to the polls. President Laurent Gbagbo’s state visit to Ghana a couple of days ago, a mock military exercise to be launched today by the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), a meeting between Ivorian authorities and Reporters Without Borders, and a report on a recent visit of the heads of American chocolate companies in Cote d’Ivoire were the other major issues in the dailies.

1. A report in Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) said that the technical bodies in charge of the voters’ registration and the population identification programs will hand over the provisional voters’ lists to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) today. The report further said that the electoral body will then hand over the lists to the UNOCI which will transport them to various regions across the country. The paper quoted reliable sources suggesting that the provisional voters’ lists could be displayed Friday or Saturday at the latest; and would be followed by a meeting of the CPC – a committee overseeing the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement – in a bid to find a new date for Cote d’Ivoire’s long-delayed presidential elections.

2. While reports announced the official publication of the provisional voters’ lists later this week, a prominent article in Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the Ivorian Prime Minister) said that hard copies of forged electoral lists are circulating in certain regions of Cote d’Ivoire. The paper quoted a leading opposition leader as saying that information gathered from the party’s officials on the ground had it that some individuals, carrying the provisional voters’ lists, are engaged in a house-to-house exercise to check whether the names of their supporters appear on the lists.

3. Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) allegedly reported that the UNOCI is hunting down ruling FPI’s officials who, according to the paper, were involved in what it described as “manipulation of the provisional voters’ lists.” In a separate story, the paper accused the ruling party of displaying the lists in some areas – including Yopougon [a suburb of Abidjan] -- before it is officially done by the electoral commission. In a reaction to this allegation, the PDCI-RDA, a party led by ex-Ivorian President Henri Konan Bedie denounced what it called “fraudulent and unfair maneuvers on the part of the ruling FPI party’s leaders,” reported the paper.

4. Meanwhile, in an interview with Le Patriote, the Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, tried to reassure Ivorians: “We’ll organize clean elections.” Responding to a question relating to the controversy over the disarmament of the former fighters before the polling, Soro said: “If we want to hold elections, we can. Let’s put aside any pre-conditions. When it comes to security issues, our situation is far better than the situation in Afghanistan that recently organized elections.”

5. The political language in Cote d’Ivoire has become an issue in many Ivorian dailies in the run-up to the presidential elections. Le Nouveau Reveil quoted Ivorian ex-president and current presidential hopeful Henri Konan Bedie as saying: “The ruling FPI party has killed more than the military in Guinea (Conakry).” In a commentary, Denis Kah Zion, the Managing Director of the company that publishes Le Nouveau Reveil, asked the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, “to spare Cote d’Ivoire from another deadly war.”                    

6. A prominent story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI) said that the Chairman of the Constitutional Council had set the record straight following criticism from pro-opposition newspapers. According to the paper, Mr. Paul Yao N’Dre, who was the guest speaker yesterday during a ceremony in Abidjan, used the occasion to react after he was criticized for demanding that Ivorian presidential hopefuls submit an income tax certificate. “There is nothing wrong if we ask a candidate to submit a birth certificate… For the parliamentary and local elections, candidates must pay their taxes; why should the presidential candidates not pay their taxes?” Still on this issue, Nord-Sud Quotidien quoted the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, who called on Ivorians to have confidence in this court’s decisions. “We didn’t say we’ll eliminate some candidates,” the paper quoted Yao N’Dre as saying about who qualifies to run in the forthcoming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire.      

7. President Laurent Gbagbo’s state visit to Ghana a couple of days ago was again the subject of a front-page story in L’inter (an independent daily). The paper, which attributed this information to Jeune Afrique – a French newspaper – hinted that the question of security was high on the agenda during the tete-a-tete between Gbagbo and President John Atta Mills of Ghana. “In Abidjan some officials continue to suspect Cote d’Ivoire’s neighbor Ghana of harboring defectors from the Ivorian army (notably elements of Sergeant Ibrahim Coulibaly and former Ivorian Military Commander General Mathias Doue) with a view to a hypothetical destabilization operation,” wrote the paper, which added that “President John Atta Mills, who regularly dispatches the head of his security and intelligence agency to Abidjan, tried to reassure his guest.”

8. More on security issues:  a report in Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) said that the UNOCI is to launch a mock military exercise code-named “Route Ouverte [Open Road] today in the northern region of Cote d’Ivoire.” The exercise is aimed at ensuring the free movement of people and goods from southern Cote d’Ivoire to the northern borders between Burkina Faso, the paper quoted an UNOCI official as saying.

9. A report in the state-owned Fraternite Matin said that the state of the media and the question of freedom of the press in Cote d’Ivoire were high on the agenda yesterday when the Ivorian Communication Minister, Ibrahim Sy Savane, met with a delegation of Reporters Without Borders. According to the paper, the minister used the occasion to explain problems facing the Ivorian media and the country’s decision to count on its own resources after international organizations failed to respect their promises to support efforts aimed at establishing a free media environment in this country. According to the paper, discussions also focused on the political coverage during the electoral process by the state-owned media.

10. Finally, L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) reported on a recent visit of heads of American chocolate companies in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper quoted a member of the American delegation as saying that the visit was aimed at encouraging Ivorian cocoa producers to improve the quality of their product.   

November 9, 2009

The electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire, especially the possible publication of the electoral list, was the major issue in today’s and the weekend’s Ivorian press. The Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, was again in the limelight as a statement he made recently on the electoral process stirred controversy in some pro-opposition newspapers. The training of 1,030 new soldiers of the New Forces and the celebration in remembrance of the November 2004’s clashes that opposed French soldiers and Young Patriots, a movement close to President Laurent Gbagbo, were the other major issues. 

1. A prominent story in today’s edition of the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin said that the technical bodies working on the electoral list will come out with a new date for Cote d’Ivoire’s long-delayed presidential elections after the publication of the provisional voter’s lists. The paper attributed this information to Mrs. Fatoumata Traore-Diop, the Vice-president of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). Mrs Traore-Diop, who was speaking during a program sponsored by the Ivorian national radio, reportedly called on “Ivorians to remain calm until the technicians in charge of producing the voters’ list propose a new date.”

2. In a related development, Fraternite Matin published a statement issued by the CEI announcing that 83 percent of the potential voters have been positively processed, while only 16 percent remain to be confirmed for the voters' list. The statement further said that the cases regarding this 16 percent of potential voters will be clarified after the publication of the provisional voters’ lists.

3. While Ivorians await the publication of the provisional voters’ lists, Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) denounced what it called “a vast fraud” organized by the ruling FPI. In its weekend edition, the paper alleged that the ruling party is collecting nationwide the receipts issued to potential voters during the identification program with the promise to help them identify their names on the voters’ lists. 

4. Another prominent story in Le Nouveau Reveil accused the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, of “maneuvering to by-pass the electoral commission in a bid to delay the elections and maintain President Laurent Gbagbo in power.” The paper, which called Mr. Yao N’Dre “a danger for the peace process”, quoted him as saying that “there will be no elections unless the former rebels have laid down their guns.” The paper feared that once the problem regarding the voters’ lists is resolved, the head of the Constitutional Council could decide to veto the elections, using the disarmament of the former rebels as a pretext.

5. With more on this issue, L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) carried a banner headline accusing the Chairman of the Constitutional Council of trying to ruin Cote d’Ivoire’s reconciliation process. A commentary in this paper accused Mr. Yao N’Dre of taking partisan decisions. The Chairman of Constitutional Council also made headlines in Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party), which called him “a superman” whose objective is “to delay the presidential elections until October 2010.” The paper published an article written by an independent columnist who branded the Ivorian Constitutional Council “a kangaroo court.”

6. On military issues, a report in Fraternite Matin said that the New Forces – the Ivorian former rebel movement – trained 1,030 new soldiers. The soldiers, according to the paper, belong to the Bouake-based Zone 3 of the New Forces’ Armed Forces, who are under the command of Major Cherif Ousmane. Among the trainees are 280 green berets, 259 red berets, 242 black berets, and 249 blue berets, the report said. Reporting on the same issue, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) said that the 1,030 new soldiers will join their colleagues from Cote d’Ivoire’s national army to ensure security during the elections.

7. As the Ivorian authorities organized activities in remembrance of the November 2004 disturbances, a banner headline in the weekend’s issue of Fraternite Matin said: “Five years ago, La Licorne [French troops stationed in Abidjan] shot at the Young Patriots.” Addressing a gathering in Abidjan on Friday, Laurent Dona Fologo, the Head of the Economic and Social Council, told the youth that “you must be proud of saving your country.” In a statement, President Gbagbo said about those who were killed during the violent clashes that opposed French troops against the Young Patriots: “I won’t ever forget you.”    

November 6, 2009

Friday’s news in the Ivorian press still focused on the ongoing electoral process and the Independent Election Commission’s efforts to consolidate the voter list. Dailies also reported the weekly press statement of the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire. Other prominent articles were on a joint FAO and WFP report on hunger and food security and the Ivorian government’s actions to support AIDS orphans.

1. As the initial date of the presidential poll slated for November 29 is likely to be revised, Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) reported that French official Mr. Alain Joyandet noted in a statement made yesterday that France could be in favor of a short delay to lift the remaining hindrances. “Postponing the poll for some days or weeks to address the last technical issues will not be a problem,” the French Secretary of State was reported as saying.

Still on the poll, Mr. Yao N’Dre, the President of the Constitutional Council, noted that conditions to hold elections are not yet met. Speaking on the margin of a meeting with a labor union, Mr. Yao N’Dre underscored that the voter list as well as the disarmament of former combatants is not yet completed. “These operations have to be completed to allow for the elections,” he was reported as saying in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin. On the issue of the income tax clearance certificate, the President of the Council mentioned that its purpose is not to disqualify candidates. “Candidates are also tax payers,” he added.

2. Some 877,245 people formerly omitted from the voter list will be added. This information was reported by Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition), which noted that this is the result of the additional cross-checking operations initiated by the Independent Election Commission to consolidate the voter list. The information, the paper added, was given yesterday by Mr. Robert Mambe, the President of the Commission, who also stated that the provisional list will be released soon.

In a related story, Le Mandat (a daily close to the opposition) noted that the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) welcomes the additional cross-checking of registered voters. Reporting the weekly press statement of the UN peace keeping mission, the daily noted that, according to UNOCI Spokesperson Mr. Hamadoum Toure, there are still avenues which can be used to help consolidate the electoral list. Analyzing the operation, he added that there is a certain homogeneity in the distribution of voters who have been traced and those who have not been traced; there is not a geographical concentration of untraceable voters in a particular area. There is no imbalance between the regions in Côte d’Ivoire, he said, adding that cross-checks carried out by UNOCI showed that “people who obtained their substitute birth certificates were taken into account during the voter registration process”. Mr. Hamadoum recommitted the UN to support Ivorians in holding the poll, the paper further added.

3. A recent report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) called on action from world leaders to mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis on hunger and food security. Nuit et Jour (a daily close to the opposition) published parts of the report and reported FAO Director-General Mr. Jacques Diouf’s appeal to defeat hunger. “While the number of hungry people increased, paradoxically resources for agriculture have decreased...The food crisis requires no less attention than the financial crisis for, in addition to its economic, social and ethical ramifications, it has also proven to be a serious threat to world peace and security,” the paper quoted Mr. Diouf as stating.

4. In its bid to elaborate effective strategies to support AIDS orphans, the Ivorian government initiated a series of fact-finding missions in the southeastern town of Aboisso. The information was reported by Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party), which noted that resolutions from the missions were handed over to the Ministry in Charge of Social Affairs. These resolutions, the paper added, emphasize the need to increase awareness campaigns on AIDS and promote capacity-building for local partners in the fight against the disease.         

November 5, 2009

The bilateral relationship between Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, as well as the electoral process underway, dominated the Ivorian press today.  Other reports focused on the forthcoming meeting of the Permanent Framework for Consultation (CPC) of the political agreement of Ouagadougou.  Dailies also reported on the US-supported sensitizing campaign against violence initiated by a coalition of local human rights NGOs.

1. President Gbagbo was in Ghana for a two-day official visit.  This information was reported by Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily), which carried the full story of the state visit.  The daily noted that the Ivorian leader met with his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Atta-Mills, to discuss ways to strengthen the relationship between the two neighbor countries and to address regional challenges.  ”Our common ground is needed to uphold the western African region,” President Gbagbo reportedly said.  The paper also indicated that President Gbagbo took the occasion to provide updates on the peace and electoral processes underway in Cote d’Ivoire.  ”The situation in Cote d’Ivoire now allows for political campaigns.  I am happy to say the chapter of war is now closed,” the paper quoted him as saying.  “In the coming days, the Independent Election Commission (CEI) will publish the voter list and then the date of the poll will be fixed,” he added.

With more on the Ivorian head of state’s visit in Ghana, L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) noted that President John Atta-Mills commended the leadership in Cote d'Ivoire for significant progress towards national reconciliation and expressed appreciation about the arrangements for the forthcoming elections to be the climax of the peace efforts.  The Ghanaian leader pledged Ghana's commitment to support the democratic process.  ”We have electoral experience to share with Cote d’Ivoire,” he reportedly said.

2. On home affairs, the controversy over the income tax clearance certificate made mandatory by the Constitutional Council for candidates to the presidential election continued to be highlighted in the press.  Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) reported the reaction of the Independent Election Commission (CEI) in a statement yesterday.  The deputy spokesperson of the commission, Mr. Bamba Yacouba noted that documents required for candidacy were released by the commission in line with the related legal provisions.  An income tax clearance certificate was nowhere mentioned as a compulsory document, the paper pointed out.

3. Soir Info (an independent daily) informed readers that the sixth Permanent Framework for Consultation of the political agreement of Ouagadougou is due to be held on November 15.  According to the daily, Ivorian opposition heavy weights, together with Prime Minister Soro Guillaume and President Gbagbo, will meet in Burkina Faso with facilitator Blaise Compaore.  Discussions, the paper added, will undoubtedly focus on the presidential election and proposals of new dates for the holding of the poll, as it clearly appears that the initial date set, November 29, is no longer realistic.

4. Human rights advocacy NGO RAIDH (The Regroupement des Acteurs Ivoiriens des Droits Humains) initiated yesterday in Abidjan its campaign against electoral violence, at which Ambassador Nesbitt gave one of the speeches.  This information was reported by L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition).  The paper noted that the NGO, which is a union of human rights associations, launched its series of capacity-building workshops to sensitize youth and civil society activists on the principles of human rights, democracy, and citizenship during the elections.  Mr. Bamba Sindou, the program coordinator, underscored the importance of the project as the country is regenerating from a serious crisis which had a negative impact on human rights and democracy.  The campaign, he added, will be extended upcountry.  In her address, US Ambassador in Cote d’Ivoire Wanda Nesbitt congratulated RAIDH and called on NGOs to devotedly work to promote democracy.  [Note: On September 22, 2009, Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt signed five agreements worth a total of one hundred and twenty one thousand four hundred and seventy five U.S. dollars (USD 121,475) to support the work of democracy and human rights organizations in Cote d'Ivoire.]            

November 4, 2009

Today’s Ivorian press again commented on the Constitutional Council’s decision demanding that Ivorian presidential candidates submit an income tax clearance certificate. The electoral process, especially the issue regarding the voter’s lists, also made headline in the newspapers. President Laurent Gbagbo’s current state visit to Ghana and commentaries on President Barack Obama’s achievements, one year after his election as the President of the United States were the other major issues.

1. The state-owned daily Fraternite Matin reported that the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, yesterday met with the representative of President Blaise Compaore – facilitator in the Ivorian peace process – to explain the court’s decision requesting Ivorian presidential candidates to submit an income tax clearance certificate as a condition for eligibility. The paper further quoted the head of the Constitutional Council, who said that the court will soon announce its final decision regarding the list of candidates for the up-coming presidential elections.

2. A report in Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) said that the leader of this party, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, submitted his income tax clearance certificate yesterday. In a related development, L’inter (an independent daily) shed more light on what it called “serious confusions and shortcomings” that were noted in some of the papers submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission by the presidential candidates. Quoting a reliable source, the paper hinted that about 10 out of 20 nominations that were filed by potential candidates – including the papers of the leader of the RDR – were   incomplete. The paper further revealed that the problem with Ouattara’s nomination was an inconsistency about his full name.

3. Regarding the voter lists, L’inter published a joint statement issued on November 1, 2009 by the Independent Electoral Commission and the Cabinet of the Ivorian Prime Minister. According to the document, the two institutions are demanding that the technical bodies involved in the voter registration and the population identification programs to complete – within a three-day deadline -- the research and data processing regarding some 1.9 million registered potential voters who do not feature anywhere in the historical records; this is in order to pave the way for the publication of the provisional electoral list.

4. On the date of the up-coming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire, Fraternite Matin announced that the CPC – a committee overseeing the implementation of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement – will be meeting on November 15 to fix a new date for the polls. The paper attributed this information to Ivorian ex-President Henri Konan Bedie. “If for technical reasons – which is evident in my point of view – the elections cannot be held on November 29, the PDCI [Bedie’s party] and the political leaders will positively envisage setting a new date during the CPC’s meeting that is slated for November 15,” the paper quoted Bedie as saying during a rally in the northern region of Cote d’Ivoire. In a related development, a separate report in Fraternite Matin quoted Colonel Bamba Sinima, a leading member of the New Forces, as saying that “the delay of the elections slated for November 29 cannot be seen as the collapse of the Ouagadougou Political Agreement.”

5. A front-page report in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that the electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire was high on the agenda yesterday when President Gbagbo met with Ivorians living in Ghana as part of his official visit to that country. On the purpose of his visit, Gbagbo reportedly said: “I’m here to reinforce the relationship between our two countries.” With a picture of President Gbagbo flanked by his Ghanaian counterpart, John Atta Mills, Fraternite Matin quoted the Ivorian leader as saying “it is important that we come together.” According to the paper, Gbagbo and Mills are due to meet in a tete-a-tete today.

6. The first anniversary of the election of President Barack Obama as the President of the United States was a subject of a front-page story in Notre Voie. The paper recounted that Obama was elected on November 4 as the first Black American President of the United States. One year after this election, it’s unanimously recognized that the new American President has created a peaceful environment in the world, commented the paper, citing the Nobel Peace Prize, bestowed on him recently, as evidence of this recognition. “One year after his election as the President of the United States, Barack Obama reassures Americans and the whole world,” wrote L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily). The paper published a full-page album of the president on various official duties since he assumed power and praised President Obama for his policy based on negotiation as a way to resolve conflict. The paper further published positive opinions expressed by Ivorian political key players about President Obama’s leadership.

November 3, 2009

The Constitutional Council’s decision demanding Ivorian presidential candidates to submit an income tax clearance certificate has triggered mixed reactions in today’s Ivorian press. Cote d’Ivoire’s electoral process and the political atmosphere prevailing in this country in the run-up to the next presidential elections were also subjects of front-page stories. President Laurent Gbagbo began his two-day state visit to Ghana started today; efforts to boost small and medium scale business in Cote d’Ivoire and a strike called by university teachers were the other major issues in the press.   

1. A prominent story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) said that the Constitutional Council’s decision demanding that presidential candidates submit a tax clearance certificate as a condition of eligibility to compete in the forthcoming presidential elections violates the letter and the spirit of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement and the Pretoria II Peace Accord signed by the Ivorian parties. The paper called the decision “a strong signal” sent by the President of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, who, it said, has decided “to re-rewrite the electoral code” and to act as a “substitute” for the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) by enacting “new rules” for candidates running for presidency in Cote d’Ivoire.

2. The controversy over the tax clearance certificate was also a subject of a prominent story in L’inter (an independent daily) that suspected a move designed to disqualify Henri Konan Bedie, the Ivorian former President and the leader of the opposition RDR party, Alassane Dramane Ouattara from contesting the forthcoming presidential elections. The paper recalled the scenario during the 2000 presidential elections; when some clauses of the electoral code were used to prevent the two Ivorian political heavyweights from running for presidency. But the paper quoted a source close to the Constitutional Council as saying that by requesting this document, “the objective was not to invalidate any candidacy.” The source, the paper said, further added: “This question regarding the eligibility of leaders who signed the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement has been definitively settled after different accords signed as part of Cote d’Ivoire’s peace process.” Meanwhile, in another story, L’inter quoted President Gbagbo as saying, about this issue, that “when they say everybody can file nomination [for presidency], this does not mean that everybody is eligible.”

3. With more reactions on the Constitutional Council’s decision, a front-page story in Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) said that Ivorian political parties and civil society differ over the issue. While Innocent Anaky Kobena, the leader of the opposition MFA party, feared that the move could open “a Pandora box,” the President of the Ivorian civil society group, Patrick N’Gouan, insisted that “all candidates [in the up-coming presidential elections] must prove that they’ve paid their tax.”

4. On the political atmosphere in Cote d’Ivoire in the run-up to the up-coming presidential elections, Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) quoted Victor Fofana, the leader of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Cote d’Ivoire, as saying that “the people will fight for their destiny in case the elections are postponed.” The youth leader, the paper said, was speaking over the weekend at a rally in Abidjan and accused the Ivorian authorities for trying “to take the country hostage.”

5.  Le Jour Plus also carried an interview with Dosso Tiecoumba, the President of MODIC – Movement for the Defense of the Consumers’ Interests – who vowed: “We’ll organize a series of protests in Cote d’Ivoire to press for elections.” According to the paper, the MODIC was one of the consumers’ associations that organized March 2008 street demonstrations to protest a hike in the price of commodities; an action that brought business to a standstill in Abidjan.

6. Meanwhile, with a picture of President Gbagbo on its front page, Fraternite Matin quoted the Ivorian leader who called on the country’s political leaders to help maintain peace during the electoral period. According to the paper, Gbagbo, who was speaking on Monday during a meeting with primary school teachers, denounced the behavior of “warmongers,” who, he said, “threatened to resort to militia groups if the elections were delayed.” “If they send out their militia groups, they will find fire on their way. But our actions are not guided by this spirit,” the paper quoted the Ivorian president who added: “We want peace for our country… Our duty is to go to polls and to maintain peace until the elections are organized. We’ll deploy military forces to ensure security across the country…” 

7. On matters concerning regional cooperation, Fraternite Matin announced that President Gbagbo is expected today in Accra, Ghana as part of a two-day state visit to this neighboring country. In a pre-event report, the paper quoted the Ivorian Ambassador to Ghana, Ackah Auguste Emmanuel, as saying that the visit will offer Presidents Gbagbo and John Atta Mills the opportunity to cement the relationship between their two countries.

8. Fraternite Matin also reported on a FCFA 4 billion (about $9 million USD) grant signed yesterday between Cote d’Ivoire and the Center for the Development of Entreprises (CDE), a joint EU-ACP institution created as part of the June 2000 Cotonou Agreement. Under this agreement, the CDE will provide financial assistance to support the development of small and medium scale industries in Cote d’Ivoire.

9. Finally, a report in L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) said that beginning Monday, November 3, classes at Cocody University and other tertiary institutions in Abidjan will be closed as a result of a week-long strike called by teachers. The action, the report said, is to protest the delay in the payment of salary arrears and research allowances.    

November 2, 2009

Today’s and the weekend’s editions of the Ivorian press suggested that prospects for the long-delayed presidential elections to take place on November 29, 2009 look uncertain due to the controversy over the electoral lists. The ongoing fever of the pre-electoral campaign in Cote d’Ivoire, conditions of eligibility for presidential candidates, and measures taken by the National Council of Audiovisual Communication (CNCA) for the coverage of political activities were the other major stories in the press. A daily also reported on a web chat on climate change organized by the U.S. Embassy on October 30.

1. A report in today’s issue of the independent newspaper Soir Info suggested that, barring the unexpected, the Ivorian presidential elections slated for November 29, 2009 would be postponed again after having been delayed several times since 2005. With less than a month before the polling is supposed to take place, commented the paper, all the recipes for another postponement have come together to justify the delay. “According to the law, if we post the list on November 3, we would have one month for complaints; that would take us to December 3,” the paper quoted President Laurent Gbagbo as saying last Friday in Yamoussoukro. The paper further quoted a leading member of the New Forces – Cote d’Ivoire’s former rebel movement – as saying that “it will be impossible to organize the November 29 elections, because the provisional electoral list has still not been published.”  

2. Speaking at a political rally over the weekend, a leading member of the RHDP – an opposition coalition – called for the establishment of “a new institutional framework” after November 29, said a report in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party). “Gbagbo's mandate has run out since 2005. He is still in power because of peace agreements. As long as we fail to oust him, he won’t organize elections,” the paper quoted Anaky Kobena who is also the leader of the opposition MFA party as saying. The Ivorian opposition leader also reportedly said: “If elections do not take place on November 29, he [Gbagbo] is no longer a president.” 

3. “Without elections, let’s go to the palace,” a front-page story in Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) quoted Konan Kouadio Bertin, the leader of JPDCI – the youth wing of the former ruling PDCI-RDA party – as telling his supporters during a rally held on Saturday in Abidjan. According to the paper, the opposition youth leader also said: “With or without elections on November 29, Gbagbo must go.” Reporting on the same issue, Le Nouveau Reveil quoted Konan Kouadio Bertin as saying: “Ivorians must live up to their responsibility. Each Ivorian must wake up. Let’s come together to snatch elections from Gbagbo. Let’s come together to go and vote for the Presidency. Gbagbo came to power in calamitous conditions; he will leave power in the same conditions…”

4. Meanwhile, a prominent story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) hinted that the Ivorian electoral process was high on the agenda during on a closed door meeting held yesterday in Yamoussoukro. According to the paper, the meeting brought together President Gbagbo and the key players in the electoral process and offered them an opportunity to evaluate the major progress made so far. Speaking to reporters, the Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, who attended the meeting, was quoted as saying: “We’ve talked about all the remaining technical issues and have taken certain measures that will be communicated to the public tomorrow [today].”

5. Reporting on the same meeting, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) said that research and data processing will continue in order to resolve the cases of the remaining 1.9 million registered potential voters who do not feature anywhere in the historical records. The paper attributed this information to the Ivorian premier, who said: “We’ve instructed the technical operators – the National Institute of Statistics (INS) and SAGEM (a French group in charge of the population identification process) – to continue their work in order to figure out those who are qualify to be Ivorians.” 

6. Another prominent story in Fraternite Matin was about conditions of eligibility for prospective presidential candidates. The paper published the full text of the Constitutional Council’s October 28 decision that has laid down conditions of eligibility for Ivorian potential presidential candidates. The text was also published by Le Nouveau Reveil, which noted that the Constitutional Council is demanding that each candidate vying for the presidency in Cote d’Ivoire submit a personal income tax clearance certificate. Commenting on this issue, the paper accused the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao-N’Dre, of changing the rules of the game. [NOTE: A statement issued earlier by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) demanding potential candidates in the up-coming presidential elections to submit papers for their candidacy did not include the income tax clearance certificate.]

7. On media issues, a front-page story in the weekend’s issue of Fraternite Matin said that the National Communications and Audiovisual Council (CNCA) has set rules for the coverage of political activities in the run-up to the presidential elections. According to the paper, the decision came following a complaint lodged by certain political leaders denouncing the poor coverage by the state TV and radio of their activities. Le Nouveau Reveil in its weekend’s edition also published the full text of the measures but noted that the public TV has ignored them.

8. Finally, Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) carried a brief and positive report on a web chat program organized by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan on climate change. The program, the report said, brought together representatives of NGOs students and journalists and featured Richard Graves, an American journalist. Discussion focused on the role to be played by the governments in a bid to stem the impact of climate change in the world.

November 2, 2009

Today’s and the weekend’s editions of the Ivorian press suggested that prospects for the long-delayed presidential elections to take place on November 29, 2009 look uncertain due to the controversy over the electoral lists. The ongoing fever of the pre-electoral campaign in Cote d’Ivoire, conditions of eligibility for presidential candidates, and measures taken by the National Council of Audiovisual Communication (CNCA) for the coverage of political activities were the other major stories in the press. A daily also reported on a web chat on climate change organized by the U.S. Embassy on October 30.

1. A report in today’s issue of the independent newspaper Soir Info suggested that, barring the unexpected, the Ivorian presidential elections slated for November 29, 2009 would be postponed again after having been delayed several times since 2005. With less than a month before the polling is supposed to take place, commented the paper, all the recipes for another postponement have come together to justify the delay. “According to the law, if we post the list on November 3, we would have one month for complaints; that would take us to December 3,” the paper quoted President Laurent Gbagbo as saying last Friday in Yamoussoukro. The paper further quoted a leading member of the New Forces – Cote d’Ivoire’s former rebel movement – as saying that “it will be impossible to organize the November 29 elections, because the provisional electoral list has still not been published.”  

2. Speaking at a political rally over the weekend, a leading member of the RHDP – an opposition coalition – called for the establishment of “a new institutional framework” after November 29, said a report in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party). “Gbagbo's mandate has run out since 2005. He is still in power because of peace agreements. As long as we fail to oust him, he won’t organize elections,” the paper quoted Anaky Kobena who is also the leader of the opposition MFA party as saying. The Ivorian opposition leader also reportedly said: “If elections do not take place on November 29, he [Gbagbo] is no longer a president.” 

3. “Without elections, let’s go to the palace,” a front-page story in Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) quoted Konan Kouadio Bertin, the leader of JPDCI – the youth wing of the former ruling PDCI-RDA party – as telling his supporters during a rally held on Saturday in Abidjan. According to the paper, the opposition youth leader also said: “With or without elections on November 29, Gbagbo must go.” Reporting on the same issue, Le Nouveau Reveil quoted Konan Kouadio Bertin as saying: “Ivorians must live up to their responsibility. Each Ivorian must wake up. Let’s come together to snatch elections from Gbagbo. Let’s come together to go and vote for the Presidency. Gbagbo came to power in calamitous conditions; he will leave power in the same conditions…”

4. Meanwhile, a prominent story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) hinted that the Ivorian electoral process was high on the agenda during on a closed door meeting held yesterday in Yamoussoukro. According to the paper, the meeting brought together President Gbagbo and the key players in the electoral process and offered them an opportunity to evaluate the major progress made so far. Speaking to reporters, the Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, who attended the meeting, was quoted as saying: “We’ve talked about all the remaining technical issues and have taken certain measures that will be communicated to the public tomorrow [today].”

5. Reporting on the same meeting, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) said that research and data processing will continue in order to resolve the cases of the remaining 1.9 million registered potential voters who do not feature anywhere in the historical records. The paper attributed this information to the Ivorian premier, who said: “We’ve instructed the technical operators – the National Institute of Statistics (INS) and SAGEM (a French group in charge of the population identification process) – to continue their work in order to figure out those who are qualify to be Ivorians.” 

6. Another prominent story in Fraternite Matin was about conditions of eligibility for prospective presidential candidates. The paper published the full text of the Constitutional Council’s October 28 decision that has laid down conditions of eligibility for Ivorian potential presidential candidates. The text was also published by Le Nouveau Reveil, which noted that the Constitutional Council is demanding that each candidate vying for the presidency in Cote d’Ivoire submit a personal income tax clearance certificate. Commenting on this issue, the paper accused the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao-N’Dre, of changing the rules of the game. [NOTE: A statement issued earlier by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) demanding potential candidates in the up-coming presidential elections to submit papers for their candidacy did not include the income tax clearance certificate.]

7. On media issues, a front-page story in the weekend’s issue of Fraternite Matin said that the National Communications and Audiovisual Council (CNCA) has set rules for the coverage of political activities in the run-up to the presidential elections. According to the paper, the decision came following a complaint lodged by certain political leaders denouncing the poor coverage by the state TV and radio of their activities. Le Nouveau Reveil in its weekend’s edition also published the full text of the measures but noted that the public TV has ignored them.

8. Finally, Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) carried a brief and positive report on a web chat program organized by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan on climate change. The program, the report said, brought together representatives of NGOs students and journalists and featured Richard Graves, an American journalist. Discussion focused on the role to be played by the governments in a bid to stem the impact of climate change in the world.