September 30, 2009

Reports in today’s Ivorian press said that the United Nations Security Council expressed concerns on Tuesday that a delay in publishing the provisional voters’ list might lead to yet another postponement of Cote d’Ivoire’s presidential elections slated for November 29, 2009. New developments in the Ivorian electoral process and investigations into a financial scandal that has engulfed Cote d’Ivoire’s coffee and cocoa industry were also major highlights in the Ivorian press. Dailies again talked about a working lunch hosted recently by President Barack Obama for African Heads of State and a roundtable discussion organized by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan on Tuesday on media and privacy. A Pro-ruling party’s daily, Le Temps, published President Barack Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly in today’s edition.

1. A front-page story in the state-owned Fraternite Matin said that the United Nations Security Council meeting yesterday on the electoral process underway in Cote d’Ivoire called for the publication of the provisional voter lists with no further delay. The paper carried a statement issued by the body saying “the Security Council expresses its concerns at the delay in publication of the provisional voters list, and highlights that further delays may put at risk the timeline for presidential elections slated for November 29, 2009.” With a picture of U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member body this month, the paper further quoted the statement as saying: “The Council reiterates that the Ivorian political stakeholders are bound to respect the electoral time line;" and urges them “to comply fully with their commitments.” The report said that the Security Council congratulated Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore, the facilitator in the Ivorian peace process, for “his continuous efforts to support the peace process in Cote d’Ivoire.” The Security Council, the paper said, would also “review the situation in Cote d’Ivoire again by October 15 and react as appropriate toward those who would block the progress of the electoral process.”

2. Reporting on the Security Council’s position on the Ivorian peace process, a front-page story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) commented that the United Nations have “disapproved of President Compaore.” According to the paper, during his recent state visit to Cote d’Ivoire, Compaore stated that “it’s not worth rushing for the polls to be held at all cost on schedule; but it’s rather important to move toward credible elections.”

3. In a related development, Soir Info (an independent daily) commented that the Ouagadougou Political Agreement has become null and void, as the disarmament program, planned to be completed on September 29 – two months before the November 29 elections – has been delayed. According to the paper, elements of the New Forces are still armed, and the self-defense groups have yet to be fully disbanded. Out of the 8,000 strong government and New Forces security contingent, only 1,000 have been deployed so far, noted the paper.

4. Meanwhile, Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) quoted the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Robert Beugre Mambe, as saying that the processing of the data collected after the voter registration exercise has been completed. Mambe spoke on Tuesday in Abidjan during a meeting with traditional chiefs. Another report in this paper said that the Ivorian electoral commissioner, during a meeting with heads of the electoral commissions from West African countries in Abidjan, outlined nine major conditions to address post-electoral conflicts: a reliable voters’ roll; efficient distribution of voters’ cards; and free and fair elections are some of those conditions, reported the paper.  

5. Reporting on the ongoing probe into the financial scandal that has engulfed Cote d’Ivoire’s coffee and cocoa industry, Le Jour Plus (close to the opposition) quoted former heads of the coffee and cocoa business as saying: “We’ve provided the State with FCFA 50 billion (about $111 million USD) to support the war.” The paper attributed this revelation to some former heads of the coffee and cocoa business who have been incarcerated in MACA – a prison in Abidjan – for the past 15 months without trial. “The Young Patriots [a movement supportive of President Gbagbo] who were fighting to protect the country during the crisis benefited from the money taken from coffers belonging to farmers,” the paper quoted the detainees as saying yesterday.

6. A working lunch hosted recently by U.S. President Barack Obama for African Heads of State on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York was the subject of a prominent story in today’s issue of Fraternite Matin. According to the paper, no reporter was allowed to cover this private reception that brought together President Obama and 25 African Heads of State. However, the paper said it learned later that partnership between the United States and Africa, especially development of the continent, was high on the agenda. With a picture of President Obama on its front page, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party), which was reporting on the same event, informed readers about what the American leader told his African counterparts during the working lunch. According to the paper, President Obama wanted to get from his peers what they expect from his country in a bid to craft out a policy that responds to their wants, the paper said.  

8. Today’s edition of Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) contained the last part of President Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly. The paper cited www.america.gov as the source of the speech. 

9. Nord-Sud Quotidien and Le Nouveau Reveil carried positive reports on a roundtable discussion organized on Tuesday by the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan on media and privacy. Nord-Sud Quotidien also carried a separate news item announcing that the U.S. Embassy will organize today a conference on American civil society. 

September 29, 2009

Preparations for the forthcoming presidential elections were again one of the major issues in today’s Ivorian press. The newspapers also looked at the political landscape in Cote d’Ivoire in the run-up to the November 29, 2009 presidential elections. A deal signed yesterday by Cote d’Ivoire and the London Club to reduce the country’s foreign debt and investigations into the financial scandal that has engulfed Cote d’Ivoire’s coffee and cocoa industry were also the subjects of front-page stories. The pro-ruling party’s daily, Le Temps, published President Barack Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly in today’s edition.

1. A prominent story in Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) announced that the belated provisional voter lists will be published on Thursday, October 1, 2009. Citing sources close to the Independent Electoral Commission – the body charged with organizing the polls – the paper informed readers that the bodies tasked to produce the lists will submit the document to the electoral commission on Thursday.  Once the CEI gets the document, it will hand it over Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, the paper added. According to the report, all political parties will get a copy of the document by Friday upon request.

2. While preparations are underway for the up-coming presidential elections, Le Quotidien (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) suggested that prospects for Cote d’Ivoire’s delayed presidential elections being held on November 29 look uncertain. According to the paper, the polls would be held probably in the first quarter of 2010. The paper went on to explain how Ivorian stakeholders are preparing the mood before the announcement of the delay.

3. Meanwhile, a prominent story in L’inter (an independent daily) suggested that France is preparing to submit a declaration before the United Nations Security Council aimed at stepping up pressure on the Ivorian government to stick to the electoral time table. The paper, which attributed this information to Jeune Afrique (a French newspaper September 27-October 3 issue), further said that the document would contain progress made in the Ivorian peace process and then “encourage [the Ivorian authorities] to hold the polls with any further delay.”

4. “Gbagbo will win at the first round,” the state-owned daily, Fraternite Matin quoted the Ivorian First Lady, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, as saying. According to the paper, Mrs Gbagbo was speaking over the weekend at a political rally in Abidjan on the coming presidential elections.

5. On another development, a front-page story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) hinted that “some white mercenaries have arrived in Abidjan.” Citing sources, the paper alleged that the mercenaries’ mission would be to prepare and train militiamen supportive of the ruling FPI party to resort to violence against opposition leaders during the elections. The paper further alleged that the FPI could call for street demonstration in a bid to maintain Gbagbo in power.     

6. Regarding the ongoing probe into the alleged financial scandal in the Ivorian coffee and cocoa industry, a prominent story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that the Minister of Agriculture, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, had ignored summons by the investigator. The minister, the paper said, was summoned for a confrontation with Ivorian top officials who have been incarcerated for their alleged involvement in the scandal. According to the paper, other government officials, including the Finance and Economic Minister, Charles Koffi Diby, have been summoned by the investigator. 

7. On economic issues, Fraternite Matin reported that the London Club has cleaned off 268 FCFA billion (about $600 million USD) of Cote d’Ivoire’s foreign debt. The paper also said that Cote d’Ivoire and the London Club yesterday signed a preliminary agreement on a debt restructuration deal in Paris, France.  According to the paper, this debt relief represents 20 percent of country’s total debt vis-à-vis the London Club.

8. Today’s edition of Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) contained part three of President Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly; they promised to carry the rest of the message in its next editions. The paper cited www.america.gov as the source of the speech.  

September 28, 2009

News in Monday’s and weekend’s editions of the Ivorian press was dominated by President Laurent Gbagbo’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly and the electoral process underway in Cote d’Ivoire. The disarmament of the former rebels in Cote d’Ivoire was also a major issue in the press. Clashes between rival students’ groups in the central city of Bouake; efforts to fight child labor in Cote d’Ivoire and plans by a Chinese mining company to invest more than $20 million over the next two years to double manganese production in Cote d’Ivoire were the other major issues. A daily published President Barack Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly in both today’s and the weekend’s editions.

1. A front-page story in the weekend edition of the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin said that President Gbagbo had proposed to the United Nations “direct dialogue”, a peace plan underway in Cote d’Ivoire, as a solution to conflicts affecting the world. The paper carried the full text of Gbagbo’s speech at General Assembly where he underscored the United Nations’ major role in helping Cote d’Ivoire end its conflict and move along the path to democratic elections. “Throughout this process we benefited from the support of the United Nations, through the U.N. Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI),” Gbagbo said. On the electoral process underway in Cote d’Ivoire, Gbagbo, who returned home on Saturday, said: “The presidential elections are set for November 29, 2009;” and added: “There is no political obstacle on the way to the polls.” 

2. Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) published a statement issued yesterday by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) urging Ivorians “to maintain a peaceful atmosphere” in the country as the body tasked with organizing the forthcoming elections is preparing to publish the provisional voter lists. The statement further said that the CEI will organize an awareness campaign on Wednesday in Abidjan and across the country to encourage the population to resort to legal means to resolve disputes that could arise after the publication of the provisional voter lists.

3. A report in the weekend’s issues of Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) said that more than 1,000 former combatants of the New Forces have handed over their guns in the western region of Man as part of the disarmament and reintegration program. The paper further underscored that despite some difficulties, an “important progress” has been made in the implementation of this program.

4. On matters concerning security during the electoral process, a front-page story in L’inter (an independent daily) said that the Center of Integrated Command (CCI) – an 8,000 strong government and New Forces’ security unit – has come out with new measures to ensure security during the process. The report had it that for their identification, elements of the CCI will be wearing badges and a new uniform.

5. Another report in L’inter said that a score of students were injured last Friday following clashes opposing rival students’ groups in the central city of Bouake. According to the paper, the violence involved members of FESCI (Federation des Etudiants et Scolaire de Cote d’Ivoire) and CEECI (Comite des Eleves et Etudiants de Cote d’Ivoire). The two groups, the report said, were fighting over leadership issues.
6. A front-page story in L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) said the United States has slammed Cote d’Ivoire for child labor. According to the paper, the United States has recently published lists of countries – including Cote d’Ivoire – where the phenomenon still exits despite efforts aimed at stamping it out. The paper attributed this information to an Ivorian official who was speaking at a workshop in Abidjan on how to address the situation.

7. On economic issues, a report in Fraternite Matin said that Cote d’Ivoire and China have signed a deal to increase manganese production in this West African country. According to the paper, the $20 million deal will enable the country to double manganese output to 300,000 tons per year.

8. Finally, today’s and the weekend’s editions of Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) contained parts one and two of President Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly; they promised to carry the rest of the message in its next editions. The paper cited www.america.gov as the source of the speech.  

September 25, 2009

Friday’s news was dominated by reports on the ongoing electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire, namely consultations initiated by the Independent Election Commission and by President Gbagbo’s audiences on the margin of the UN annual debates. Dailies also reported on the US Government’s debt relief to support Ivorian post-conflict economic policy.

1. As time is running out for the organization of the presidential poll, the Independent Election Commission (CEI) is carrying out consultations with the different actors involved. Following a meeting with journalists and press regulation bodies, the President of the Commission, Mr. Robert Mambe, met yesterday with religious leaders. The information was reported by Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party). The daily noted that the goal is to call on the different chiefs to sensitize their respective community on the peaceful atmosphere which must prevail throughout the electoral process. “As religious leaders, you can more efficiently convey messages to promote responsible behavior during this crucial time,” the paper quoted Mr. Mambe as saying.

On the voter list, Le Quotidien (a daily close to the ruling FPI), noted that the situation seems to be at a standstill. Criticizing Mr. Mambe’s stance on the precise date for the publication of the provisional voter list, the paper reported a lack of consistency in the work of the different operators involved. The paper also blamed SAGEM, the company contracted to finalize the work, for the delay in the publication.

Still on the electoral process, Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) noted that, at the request of the Independent Election Commission, the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) has decided to provide logistic support by sending Abidjan and Yamoussoukro electoral equipment. The information, the paper added, was given by UNOCI’s spokesperson, Mr. Hamadoun Toure, during the weekly press statement held yesterday. The equipment is composed of 76 sea containers of voting booths and other election kits, he added. Mr. Hamadoun reiterated UN support for the process and announced forthcoming exchange and capacity-building programs to consolidate the process. 

2. President Gbagbo is due to address the General Assembly today. This information was reported by Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party. The daily also reported on President Gbagbo’s meetings on the margins of the event. Thus, the paper informed readers that Reverend Jesse Jackson met with the Ivorian leader last Wednesday. Discussions focused on the peace process underway in the country.”Cote d’Ivoire has overcome the turmoil and is now embarking on the way to prosperity and abundance,” the paper quoted the American civil rights activist as saying. [Note: Reverend Jesse Jackson recently visited Cote d’Ivoire on the initiative of the President of the African Congress of Young Patriots, Mr. Charles Ble Goude]

More on President Gbagbo’s agenda in New York:  Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) noted that UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon congratulated the Ivorian head of state for the positive developments in the peace process underway. The daily noted that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon remains upbeat about this issue.

3. On economic issues, the Government of the United States of America has decided to support Cote d’Ivoire’s post-crisis economic policy under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) noted that US Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt and the Ivorian Minister of Finance, Mr. Charles Koffi Diby, signed yesterday in Abidjan a debt relief agreement. The paper noted that the relief is for about USD 208,776 million in debts. US Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt mentioned that “this agreement is important for both Cote d’Ivoire and the United States and is in line with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund’s agreements on Poverty Reduction Strategy.”  “It shows the US Government’s commitment to support the country,” she added.

September 24, 2009

The ongoing peace process; delays in the publication of the voter list; and opening addresses at the UN General Assembly were the major topics developed in the press today. Dailies also continued to report on commodities trading firm Trafigura’s payout to compensate victims of toxic wastes dumping.

1. In his bid to review progress of the electoral process, the Independent Elections Commission (CEI) initiated yesterday in Abidjan an information and training session. Reporting on the issue, L’inter (an independent daily) noted that the workshop is intended for journalists and press regulation entities. It aims at reporting updates on the process. Mr. Robert Mambe, the president of the Commission, noted that “the country has never been so close to holding the poll.” “We are at the climax of the process,” he said. On the issue of the voter list, the president indicated that efforts were made to ensure its quality and credibility.”The integrity of the whole process is contingent upon the reliability of this list,” he reportedly added.

Reporting on the same topic, L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) noted that there is no clear date for the release of the provisional voter list.”I cannot give a precise date,” the paper quoted Mr. Mambe as saying on the issue.

2. World leaders including President Gbagbo gathered in New York yesterday as the United Nations annual debates got underway. The information was reported by Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily), which noted that American President Barack Obama delivered his first speech as President of the United States of America to the Assembly. In a wide-ranging address, Mr. Obama called for a "new era of engagement" among nations, saying the United States cannot solve the world's problems alone and urged other nations to share in the responsibility. The paper also noted Libyan President’s long speech. Mr. Gadhafi, the paper reported, railed against what he called the “inequality of the institution”, but then urged a permanent seat on the Security Council for Africa.

3. The issue of compensation of victims of toxic waste dumped in Abidjan in late 2006 was still reported today. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) informed readers that Greenpeace (an international non-governmental organization for the protection and conservation of the environment) has decided to take legal action against Trafigura, the petroleum trading firm accused of chartering the ship which dumped the toxic waste. The paper noted that the proceedings were initiated despite a pre-trial settlement to put an end to a class-action suit accusing the company of causing illness by dumping toxic waste in the country. The pre-trial settlement included a payout of some 49 million dollars to compensate victims, the paper added.   

September 23, 2009

The national press was dominated by reports on the peace process underway and the forthcoming elections. Dailies also reported on discussions dominating the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations. President Gbagbo’s meeting with President Obama continued to be reported as well. Dailies moreover reported on a signing ceremony held at the American Embassy to support the work of democracy and human rights organizations in Cote d'Ivoire.

1. The initial date of the presidential poll set for November 29, 2009 is likely to be postponed. This is the bottom line of articles culled in the press today. Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) noted that, during his recent visit in Cote d’Ivoire, Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore called on Ivorians to be patient. “The most important is to hold fair elections,” the paper quoted from his last appeal. Criticizing the stance of the facilitator of the political agreement of Ouagadougou, the paper added that a potential postponement will contradict the UN Security Council’s resolution pressing Ivorian political stakeholders to abide by the date. The paper recalled that the resolution taken in July clearly indicated that the credibility of the poll was contingent upon the respect of the date. [Notes: The UN Security Council adopted on July 30, 2009 Resolution 1880 to support the parties in the implementation of the remaining tasks under the Ouagadougou Political Agreement and its Supplementary Agreements, in particular those “that are essential to the holding of a free, fair, open and transparent presidential election of 29 November 2009”.]

Still on the probable delay in the presidential election, Le Quotidien (a daily close to the ruling FPI Party), reported on the press conference of the Movement of Future Forces (MFA). Mr. Philippe Legre, the Secretary General of this opposition party, indicated that a one-month delay could be granted in view of the technical difficulties the electoral commission is facing on the ground. “Postponing the pool for one month is advisable but we have to organize it before 2010,” the paper quoted him as saying yesterday to the members of the party and to journalists.

Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) reported on the interactions between Mr. Paul Yao N’Dre, the newly nominated President of the Constitutional Council, and the Special UN Envoy in Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Yj Choi. According to Mr.N’Dre, discussions focused on ways to promote collaboration between the two institutions to consolidate peace. “We have to work in partnership and avoid overlapping our respective duty”, the president of the council added. Mr. Yj Choi recommitted the mission’s support to the process underway, the paper added.

2. The 64th General Assembly of the United Nations opens today. The issues of climate change and global warming will be the highlights of the UN pre-annual meeting. The information was reported by L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) which noted that, on the initiative of Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, one hundred  heads of states are due to gather today to elaborate a new agreement on climate.

In a related story, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) noted that President Gbagbo and some twenty other sub-African heads of states met with President Barack Obama yesterday. The working lunch took place at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Discussions, the paper noted, were dominated by the topics of cooperation and development.  

3. The US Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire organized yesterday an agreement-signing ceremony to support Ivorian NGOs (Non-goververmental Organizations) promoting democracy and human rights in Cote d’Ivoire. Reporting on the event, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) noted that the ceremony was chaired by Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt. The paper indicated that a total of five financial agreements, worth a total of one hundred and twenty one thousand four hundred and seventy five U.S. dollars (USD 121,475), were signed. In her opening address, Ambassador Nesbitt called on the recipients to devotedly carry on with their work in promoting Human Rights and Democracy nationwide. The four beneficiaries, namely the Regroupement des Acteurs Ivoiriens des Droits Humains (RAIDH), Transparency Justice, The Plate-forme de la Societé Civile pour la Paix et Démocratie en Cote d’Ivoire (PSDPD) and The Centre International pour le Développement du Droit (CIDD)thanked the US Government for this financial support which will allow them to successfully carry their mission aiming at providing legal and judicial assistance, sensitizing youth and women about the electoral process, training civil society associations in peaceful conflict resolution techniques and educating youth and women’s organizations on the culture of democracy, the paper added.

September 22, 2009

President Gbagbo’s working trip to the United States and his interactions with President Barrack Obama were the key topics in today’s dailies. Other prominent subjects were the annual report of Amnesty International on human rights in Cote d’Ivoire and a national workshop on gender issues. Dailies also reported on a controversy following the friendly settlement of the issue of toxic wastes. The US Embassy’s recent interfaith roundtable discussion on women’s right in Muslim society was reported as well.

1. President Gbagbo arrived last Sunday in New York to attend the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations. Reporting this information, the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin noted that President Gbagbo’s agenda during this working trip includes a meeting today at 1:00 P.M (New York time) with President Barack Obama. President Gbagbo, along with some 45 other sub-Saharan African heads of state will have a working lunch with their American counterpart at The Waldorf Astoria. Proposals to strengthen partnerships between the USA and the African continent, as well issues related to sustainable development will be the key topics discussed, the paper added.

In a related story, Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) noted that President Gbagbo met with Ivorians living in the United States. The purpose, the paper added, was to provide updates on the ongoing peace process in Cote d’Ivoire. “It is my duty as the President to work for the welfare of the country,” the paper quoted president Gbagbo as saying in his address. “The effects of the seven years of crisis are still noticeable but we are working to regenerate the country,” he added.

2. Amnesty International has released its 2009 annual report on human rights abuses in Cote d’Ivoire. The information was reported by Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition), which indicated that the issue of human rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire will soon be audited by the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva. Amnesty International’s report underscores several abuses throughout the country, both in the Government-held zone and the New Forces-controlled area.

3. The Ministry in Charge of Family and Social Affairs organized a September 15, 2009 workshop to call for women’s involvement in the ongoing electoral process. Providing details, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) noted that the seminar was supported by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the UNDP. Mrs. Matenin Coulibaly, a Gender Issues expert, noted that it is important to “press public and private institutions to apply gender equality; especially in the process underway in the country.”

4. Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) reported on the friendly settlement signed between the petroleum company Trafigura and a group of lawyers with regard to the compensation of victims of toxic waste dumped in late 2006 in Abidjan. According to the daily, Mr. Claude Gohourou, president of the Ivorian national coordination of toxic waste victims, the payments of some 750.000 Francs CFA per victim provided "moral comfort" and added that in this case, "a bad arrangement is better than a good trial." The daily also noted that another representative of the victims, Mr. Denis Yao Pipira, protested that, in the settlement, Trafigura refused to accept responsibility for deaths and serious sickness and called for "new negotiations”. [In August 2006, the Probo Koala ship, chartered by Trafigura, dumped caustic soda and petroleum residues on city waste tips across Abidjan. Trafigura late Saturday agreed to pay 49 million dollars to victims of the waste dumped in Abidjan.]

5. The US Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire organized on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, an interfaith roundtable on “Women’s rights in Muslim Society”. The information was reported by Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) which noted that the head speaker, Dr Aminata Kane pointed out that “women’s right is a common concern in most religions.” “Islam, she added, grants women with the right to life, education and welfare.” Mr. Ibrahim Kone, one of the panelists added that “legal provision to protect women from abuse is set by the society.”  

September 21, 2009

News reported today and over the week end was dominated by the ongoing peace process and the first female candidate’s bid for the presidency. The celebration of Eid-El-Fitr, marking the end of the Ramadan; and the recent visit of Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore also continued to be headliners. President Gbabgo’s meeting with President Obama in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was also reported.

1. As part of his visit in Cote d’Ivoire, Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore met with Ivorian political stakeholders to discuss updates on the ongoing peace process. The information was reported in the week-end edition of Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily). The paper noted that President Compaore expressed optimism on the positive outcome of the electoral process. “We are all devotedly working to meet the deadline of the pool.” The paper reportedly quoted President Compaore as saying. “We are about to lift the remaining obstacles,” he added.

Still on the visit, L’inter (an independent daily) noted in its Saturday release that in his final address, President Compaore called on Ivorians to be patient and not to rush in organizing the electoral[?] pool. “There is no need to rush,” he said.”We should afford ourselves time to ensure credibility in the process.”     

2. On home affairs, the press reported the candidacy of Mrs. Jacqueline Lohoues-Oble for the presidency. Providing details, Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) noted that Mrs. Oble will be the first woman to run for this position in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper indicated that Mrs. Oble, a renowned professor of law and former Minister of Justice, officially declared her candidacy yesterday during a press conference. The consolidation of peace, the promotion of social development, democracy and rule of law are key points of her platform, the paper added.

3. On religious issues, Ivorian Muslim community celebrated yesterday the end of Ramadan. The information was widely reported in the press today. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) noted that on the occasion, the lead imam of the community, Cheick Boikary Fofana, called on for peace, reconciliation, unity and mutual understanding.

4. On the margins of the UN General Assembly, President Gbagbo is due to meet with President Obama tomorrow. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) noted that President Gbagbo left yesterday for New York. Discussions during the working lunch will focus on cooperation and sustainable development, the paper added.

September 21, 2009

News reported today and over the week end was dominated by the ongoing peace process and the first female candidate’s bid for the presidency. The celebration of Eid-El-Fitr, marking the end of the Ramadan; and the recent visit of Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore also continued to be headliners. President Gbabgo’s meeting with President Obama in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was also reported.

1. As part of his visit in Cote d’Ivoire, Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore met with Ivorian political stakeholders to discuss updates on the ongoing peace process. The information was reported in the week-end edition of Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily). The paper noted that President Compaore expressed optimism on the positive outcome of the electoral process. “We are all devotedly working to meet the deadline of the pool.” The paper reportedly quoted President Compaore as saying. “We are about to lift the remaining obstacles,” he added.

Still on the visit, L’inter (an independent daily) noted in its Saturday release that in his final address, President Compaore called on Ivorians to be patient and not to rush in organizing the electoral[?] pool. “There is no need to rush,” he said.”We should afford ourselves time to ensure credibility in the process.”     

2. On home affairs, the press reported the candidacy of Mrs. Jacqueline Lohoues-Oble for the presidency. Providing details, Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) noted that Mrs. Oble will be the first woman to run for this position in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper indicated that Mrs. Oble, a renowned professor of law and former Minister of Justice, officially declared her candidacy yesterday during a press conference. The consolidation of peace, the promotion of social development, democracy and rule of law are key points of her platform, the paper added.

3. On religious issues, Ivorian Muslim community celebrated yesterday the end of Ramadan. The information was widely reported in the press today. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) noted that on the occasion, the lead imam of the community, Cheick Boikary Fofana, called on for peace, reconciliation, unity and mutual understanding.

4. On the margins of the UN General Assembly, President Gbagbo is due to meet with President Obama tomorrow. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) noted that President Gbagbo left yesterday for New York. Discussions during the working lunch will focus on cooperation and sustainable development, the paper added.

September 18, 2009

Reports in today’s national press were still dominated by the official visit of President Blaise Compaore and his address to the Ivorian Parliament. Other reports were on the ongoing electoral process; the outcome of the joint fact-finding mission of the International Monetary Fund and the Word Bank; and the forthcoming special summit of the African Union. Dailies also reported on President Obama’s invitation to his Ivorian counterpart in the margin of the United Nations General Assembly.

1. The visit of Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, who is currently in Cote d’Ivoire on an official visit, was widely reported in the press today. Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) carried a banner headline reading: “A new beginning between Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.” Reporting on President Compaore’s address to the Ivorian Parliament, the paper noted that once again, the statesman and also facilitator in the Ivorian peace process called on Ivorians to consolidate their country’s democracy and peace. “I am here to testify the strong ties between the two countries,” President Compaore was reported as saying.

Still on this visit, L’inter (an independent daily) noted that prior to his address to the Parliament, President Compaore visited President Gbagbo’s hometown of Mama in the western region. According to the paper, the Burkinabe leader used the occasion to urge Ivorians to continue efforts in order to ensure a successful outcome of the electoral process. “The most important thing is to successfully carry out the process”, he reportedly said.

2. French Ambassador Jean Marc Simon met with President Gbagbo to evaluate the electoral process. The information was reported by Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) which noted that the major topic was the date of the polls set for November 29, 2009. The paper noted that Mr. Simon recommitted France’s support to the ongoing process.

In a related development, the daily noted that the polls are likely to be delayed for one month following President Compaore’s suggestion. The decision, the paper added, followed an agreement between the two heads of state and will be officially release soon.

3.  L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) reported on the outcome of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank joint fact-finding mission. The paper indicated that the two-week mission noted some positive achievements in the Government’s efforts to implement economic reforms. Mrs. Doris Ross, the IMF Chief of Mission, expressed “optimism” and called on the Ivorian authorities to find ways to properly address the issue of poverty and the promotion of good governance and transparency.

4. The issue of internally displaced people (IDP) remains a problem on the African continent that is plagued with armed conflicts. A convention on the issue is due to be ratified during the African Union’s Special Summit slated for September 19, 2009 in Uganda. Soir Info (an independent daily), which carried the news, noted that the UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) intends to press for more actions to support IDPs and advocate policies to stop the phenomenon.

5. As the United Nations General Assembly is set for September 29, Fraternite Matin reported that President Barack Obama is planning to meet with African Heads of State including President Gbagbo. According to the paper, Gbagbo received his official invitation from the U.S. Ambassador in Abidjan, Wanda L. Nesbitt. The daily published the full text of the invitation letter indicating that the working lunch is set for September 22 in New York. Issues related to sustainable development policies will be high on the agenda, the paper reported. 

September 16, 2009

Islam Info, the Ivorian Muslim weekly newspaper today ran a front-page story on an Iftar dinner hosted by US Ambassador to Abidjan Wanda L. Nesbitt on Sep 3. President Blaise Compaore’s September 15-18 official visit to Cote d'Ivoire; a conference on regional integration; new developments in the Ivorian electoral process and an anti-corruption campaign led by the Association of International Visitors of Cote d’Ivoire were also front-page stories.

1. As the Ivorian Muslim community is set to observe today the Night of Destiny as part of Ramadan, Islam Info, the only Muslim weekly newspaper (French) in Cote d’Ivoire carried a front-page story quoting Ambassador Nesbitt as saying that “Muslims play a leadership role in America.” Ambassador Nesbitt, the paper said, was speaking on September 3 during an Iftar dinner at her Residence in Abidjan. It also published an interview of Ambassador Nesbitt who said: “America has nothing against Muslims.” The positive full-page report also showed pictures of Ivorian Muslim leaders interacting with US diplomats during the dinner. 

2. The major news in the Ivorian press however today is the current official visit of President Compaore to Cote d’Ivoire. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) carried a banner headline proclaiming “a new chapter” in Cote d’Ivoire-Burkina Faso’s relations. The report said that Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and the visiting Burkinabe leader, Blaise Compaore, on Tuesday jointly presided over a joint council of ministers’ meeting in Yamoussoukro (Cote d’Ivoire’s political capital) which brought together ministers of both countries. Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, the leader of the New Forces, the Ivorian ex-rebel movement, was also in attendance, the report said. The report added the meeting was proof that the two countries are committed to work for “a common destiny.” The paper also quoted President Compaore as saying that the visit “offers a good opportunity for our two countries,” and it “will be marked by the reactivation of mechanisms for cooperation between the people of Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.” Fraternite Matin also published the full text of a final communique issued at the end of the joint council of ministers’ meeting. The document highlighted cooperation between the two countries in various domains, including cross border issues; free movement of people and goods; security; development of road infrastructures; food security; energy; farming; information technology; culture, among others. 

3. Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) commented that Compaore’s visit to Cote d’Ivoire marks what it called “the beginning of a true friendship” between Gbagbo and Compaore. The pro-opposition Nord-Sud Quotidien daily newspaper called Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso “twin countries,” while a front-page story in Soir Info (an independent daily) said that Gbagbo and Compaore took “serious decisions” that would help foster mutual understanding between the two countries.

4. More on regional cooperation issues, Notre Voie reported that an ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)-sponsored week-long integration program got underway yesterday in Abidjan. The program, the paper quoted an OCOWAS official as saying, was aimed at sensitizing the populations in the region on ECOWAS’s achievements in terms of development.

5. On the electoral process, a front-page story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) informed readers that the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) has explained the delay of the publication of the provisional voter lists. The paper carried a statement issued on September 15 by the electoral body saying that “the CEI is working with the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and the other bodies involved in the electoral process in order to publish the provisional voter lists in the coming days.” The statement further said: “The CEI invites Ivorians and friends of Cote d’Ivoire to exercise patience and to remain peaceful.”

6. Finally, Le Mandat (a daily close to the opposition) reported on a conference on corruption organized by the Association of the International Visitors of Cote d’Ivoire (AIVI-CI) on September 12 in the central city of Bouake. According to the paper, Ambassador Nesbitt, who attended the program, used the occasion to underscore the damaging effects of corruption such as increase in public expenditure; mismanagement among others on countries’ economies.   

September 15, 2009

The electoral process, especially the delay of the September 15 deadline to publish provisional voter lists, was the dominant issue in today’s Ivorian press. The disarmament of former militiamen in western Cote d’Ivoire; Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore’s September 15-18 official visit to Cote d'Ivoire and the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year were the other major items in the Ivorian dailies.   

1. A prominent story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) claimed that the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) has failed; as the body charged with organizing the November 29, 2009 presidential elections has missed the September 15 deadline to publish provisional voter lists. The paper noted that this is the second time the publication of voter lists, initially due on August 31, has been delayed due to “technical problems.” After quoting a statement issued by the electoral commission announcing that “95 percent of voter lists had been processed;” the paper accused the body of “misinformation” on the grounds that the 95 percent of the completed job, the statement was referring to, concerned only one of the two stages of the data processing exercise. The second stage is yet to start, the paper noted.

2. In a separate story on a related development, Notre Voie accused Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro of trying “to silence” bodies involved in the electoral process. It recalled a recent statement by Soro demanding that all parties involved in the electoral process to consult his cabinet before making any declaration on the process in the press.
3. Commenting on the delay in the publication of the provisional voter lists, the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin carried a front-page article explaining how decrees recently signed by President Laurent Gbagbo had saved the electoral process. Under the terms of these decisions, the publication of the voter lists could be completed 30 days before the date of the polls, explained the paper. It went on to state that with the polls billed for November 29, the electoral commission would still have enough time to complete the data processing. 

4. However, a story in the pro-opposition daily, Notre Heure suggested that the delay in the publication of the voter lists constitutes a setback to the electoral process. In a bid to ensure a smooth electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition), on its part, called for a new cabinet made up of ministers who will be fully committed to their job. “How a government composed of partisan ministers can organize credible elections?” the paper quoted a foreign diplomat in Abidjan as saying; and the diplomat to add: “They are busier in organizing the campaign of their candidates.” 

5. On other issues, a report in L’inter (an independent daily) said that some 270 former militiamen have deposed their guns and returned to normal life in the western city of Guiglo. Drawn from various self-defense groups operating in this region, wrote the paper, the ex-combatants received their certificates on Saturday following a six-month training in farming. The paper further quoted Ivorian Labor Minister Hubert Oulaye who told the ex-combatants that the war is over and encouraged them to champion the cause of peace and development.

6. As President Compaore is expected today in Cote d’Ivoire as part of a 4-day official visit, Le Quotidien (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) commented that the stage is set for “marriage bonds” between Compaore and Gbagbo. With a picture of the two Western African leaders in a warm- hand-shaking, the paper suggested that the meeting between Gbagbo and Compaore – facilitator in the Ivorian peace process -- would definitely help improve ties between Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

7. Another prominent pre-event article in the pro-opposition daily, L’Expression on Compaore’s official visit said: “To bury the hatchet Gbagbo and Compaore are ready to swallow a grass snake.” After recalling the early 1999 troubled relations between Ivorians and Burkinabe living in Cote d’Ivoire; and the 2002 rebellion, which Compaore was accused of sponsoring, the paper wondered who between Gbagbo and Compaore meeting today in Yamoussoukro will give “the kiss of Judas.” More on the reconciliation between Gbagbo and Compaore, Soir Info (an independent daily) quoted an analyst saying that Gbagbo’s principal objective in this new deal is to get Compaore’s full support in a bid to disarm the former rebels and pave the way for peaceful elections in Cote d’Ivoire. A report in Fraternite Matin said that on the eve of this crucial visit, Ivorian and Burkinabe ministers meeting in Cote d’Ivoire’s political capital Yamoussoukro have mapped out a blueprint on a strong Cooperation Agreement between the two countries. Speaking about the deal, Burkinabe Regional Cooperation Minister Minata Samate was quoted by Fraternite Matin as saying: “The treaty demands us to live up to our responsibilities.”

8. As schools officially opened yesterday in the entire Cote d’Ivoire as part of the 2009-2010 academic year, a front-page story in Fraternite Matin had it that the Ivorian education system is in a dire strait ranging from lack of facilities to shortage of teachers. The paper cited official sources as saying that for this academic year alone, the country’s secondary schools have recorded a shortage of 11,000 teachers. The paper further reported that in most schools that were opened yesterday, parents did not turn up to pay their children’s registration fees. Another story in Fraternite Matin quoted the Education Minister, Gilbert Bleu Laine, who called for teachers’ “patriotism” in a bid to overcome the problems.  

September 14, 2009

Reports in the Ivorian press today and over the weekend were dominated by a meeting held on Saturday between Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and bodies involved in preparations for the up-coming presidential elections. The dailies also talked about the disarmament program underway in Cote d’Ivoire, President Blaise Compaore’s next official visit to Cote d’Ivoire and a conference on corruption organized by the Association of the International Visitors of Cote d’Ivoire (AIVI-CI).

1. Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) carried a prominent story informing readers that one of the major decisions following Saturday’s “crucial” meeting on the electoral process was that the provisional electoral list won’t be published on September 15 as originally planned. Citing reliable sources, the paper suggested that the meeting offered Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and heads of bodies involved in electoral preparations an opportunity to evaluate obstacles and consider solutions prior to the November 29 presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper reported that during this meeting, which focused on the processing of data collected during the voter registration exercise, the Prime Minister demanded that all parties involved in the electoral process consult his cabinet before making any declaration on the process in the press.

2. On the possible delay of the publication of the provisional electoral list, the state-owned Fraternite Matin quoted the Ivorian Prime Minister as saying: “The priority now is not the publication of the list on September 15 or on September 16. Our priority is November 29 [the date of the polls].” Soro, the paper said, was speaking after he toured centers where data processing is being conducted. According to the paper, the purpose of the tour was to enable the Prime Minister – the principal architect of the peace process in Cote d’Ivoire – to assess the situation on the ground after having met with the bodies involved in the electoral process. “I’ve noted a smooth progress in the process,” the paper quoted Soro as saying.

3. In a related development, Fraternite Matin carried a public statement issued on September 13 by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) announcing that 95 percent of the data collected during the voter registration and population identification programs have so far been processed. Efforts are underway to design a sound voters’ list, said the statement. In a separate story, the paper underscored the commitment of COSOPCI – a coalition of Ivorian civic groups – to actively take part in the electoral process in Cote d’Ivoire. The Fraternite Matin weekend edition reported that the group is planning to deploy some 600 electoral observers during the up-coming elections. In addition, in an attempt to avoid conflict in the aftermath of the November 29 elections, the CEI – the body tasked with organizing the polls – will deploy 100,000 national and international observers the day of the polls. The paper attributed the remarks to the head of the electoral body.

4. As Cote d’Ivoire is gripped by a political fever in the run-up of the November 29 elections, L’inter (an independent daily) quoted former Ivorian President Henri Konan Bedie as saying: “We won’t accept that a party proclaims itself as a winner.” Bedie, 75, candidate of the former ruling PDCI-RDA party in the coming elections, was speaking during a political rally over the weekend. “Only the CEI must announce the winner,” Fraternite Matin, which was reporting on the same rally, quoted Bedie as saying. Also on a campaign trail over the weekend, Ivorian opposition heavyweight Alassane Dramane Ouattara called on the CEI to respect the elections’ timetable, said a report in Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition).

5. On matters concerning the disarmament program, a report in the weekend’s edition Fraternite Matin stated that there has been an important step in the Ivorian peace process with  500 former fighters having returned to normal life in the northern city of Korhogo.

6. President Blaise Compaore’s next official visit to Cote d’Ivoire was a subject of front-page story in Fraternite Matin. According to the paper, issues pertaining to immigration and land ownership will be high on the agenda during this visit. The paper carried a long interview of Burkinabe Ambassador to Abidjan Emile Ilboudo who called for “a new chapter” in the relationships between Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

7. On another development, a report in Fraternite Matin said that the Association of the International Visitors of Cote d’Ivoire – AIVI-CI -- had called on Ivorians to fight against corruption. According to the paper, the association made the call on Saturday in Bouake during a conference that was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Abidjan Wanda L. Nesbitt. “The only way to fight corruption is to denounce it,” the paper quoted Ambassador Nesbitt as saying. “Nesbitt is waging a war against corruption,” said a report in Nord-Sud Quotidien. The report said that the American diplomat was speaking Saturday as AIVI-CI took its anti-corruption campaign to the central city of Bouake.      

September 11, 2009

The reopening of the council of ministers;  reports on issues related to the ongoing peace process in Cote d’Ivoire; and a national workshop on good governance were the most important topics in the Ivorian press today. Other prominent reports were on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund joint fact-finding mission; a UN-led capacity building workshop on human rights as well as Government’s efforts to address the issue of small arms proliferation . The reopening ceremony of the Information and Resources Center (IRC) still made the news.

1.  After four weeks of vacation, the Ivorian Government resumed duty yesterday, reported the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin. The paper indicated that the reopening council of ministers was chaired by President Gbagbo. “We are back to work to lift the remaining obstacles before the pools,” the paper quoted Prime Minister Soro Guillaume as saying. He added: “The Government will prioritize its actions to address the issue of the forthcoming elections and also to fight poverty,” the report said.

In a related development, L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) noted that in the course of the meeting, the Government recommitted itself to hold the election on November 29 as planned and to address issues related to public investments in a bid to stimulate the national economy.

2. The Independent Election Commission (CEI) will soon release the provisional voter list. The announcement was made by Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) which noted that a training workshop intends to civil society representatives was recently organized by the commission. The purpose of this seminar was to sensitize on responsible behaviors to allow for peaceful settlement of disputes that may come during the electoral process. The chairman of the Independent Election Commission, Mr. Robert Mambe, was quoted as saying that “no one must either be abusively excluded or added to the voters’ roll.” 

3. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) reported on a workshop initiated by the Ivorian authorities to assess efforts in promoting good governance and fighting against corruption. The workshop gathered about hundred experts yesterday in Abidjan, said the paper said. It quoted Mrs. Amani Druide, the National Secretary in charge of good governance as saying: “The issue of good governance is important in Cote d’Ivoire where mismanagement, fraud, corruption and embezzlements are still plaguing the country.” Participants, the paper added, advocated policies to address the issue.

In a related development, the paper went on criticizing the lack of democracy on the African continent and violence that often followed elections. The paper called on African states to follow the example of Ghana where efforts towards democracy are noticeable.

4. A prominent report in Le Mandat (a daily close to the opposition) informed readers on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund joint fact-finding mission. Started on September 2, 2009, the mission, the paper noted aims at assessing achievements made by the country in its commitment to apply good governance and fight mismanagement and fraud. [Notes:  The IMF has recently approved a three-year $565.7 million arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for Cote d'Ivoire to support the country’s economic program under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.] According to the paper, the mission’s evaluation mainly focuses on the cocoa and coffee sector.

5. As part of its mandate, the United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) recently organized a capacity-building workshop on human rights. The information was reported by Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) which noted that the workshop was intended to military forces stationed in Yamoussoukro. Mrs. Saoudatou Fousseni-Moussa, the Head of the regional Human Right Office noted that the issue of human rights and law enforcement is vital as the country is moving towards elections.

6. The impacts of illicit small arms proliferation in Cote d’Ivoire is the agenda of a two-day regional meeting in Abidjan since yesterday, said a report in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party).  The paper noted that participants will elaborate a plan of actions aimed at fighting this phenomenon. The paper noted that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) supported the national commission’s action in the fight against small arms proliferation.

7. Finally, the reopening ceremony of the Information Resource Center of the American Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire held last Tuesday was reported by Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party). The paper noted that on the occasion, Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt presented new services offered by the center. These innovations, the paper note, include web chat, Facebook and Library-Thing (to select the book of the year). The paper also noted the introduction of Mrs. Anna Maria Adamo as the new Deputy Public Affairs Officer.   

September 10, 2009

Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore’s first official visit to Cote d’Ivoire was a major story in the Ivorian state-owned daily today. The Ivorian newspapers also talked about preparations underway in the run-up of the November 29, 2009 presidential elections and the disarmament process. The dailies also carried more positive reports on a conference organized yesterday by US Embassy’s Information Resources Center (IRC).  

1. As Burkina Faso’s President Blaise Compaore is expected in Cote d’Ivoire on September 15-18, 2009, a banner headline in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin proclaimed “the good relations” between the two West African countries. The paper published a statement issued by the Ivorian Presidency saying that the agenda of the visit includes a joint Council of Ministers in Yamoussoukro and a speech to be delivered by Compaore before the Cote d’Ivoire’s National Assembly on September 17. Compaore will also have a tete-a-tete with his Ivorian counterpart, Laurent Gbagbo, said the statement. According to the paper, the visit of the Burkinabe leader, facilitator in the Ivorian peace process, is to reciprocate Gbagbo’s official visit to Burkina Faso on July 27-29, 2008. The paper also recalled the strained relations between the two countries during the conflict in Cote d’Ivoire. It went on to state that these relations however have become normal. A situation, it said, paved the way for the Ouagadougou Political Agreement brokered by the Burkinabe leader.

2. Regarding the electoral process underway in Cote d’Ivoire, a prominent story in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) claimed that 95 percent of the data collected during the voters’ registration exercise and the identification process were “accurate.” The paper, which cited reliable sources, said that only 5 percent of the data were “litigious” after they had been processed. It also alleged that all these information had been transmitted to President Gbagbo who insisted that the problems concerning the 5 percent of the data should be settled before the publication of the provisional election list.

3. A report in the pro-opposition Notre Heure daily newspaper said that the British government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have expressed “satisfaction” on progress made so far by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), the body tasked with organizing the November 29, 2009 presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire. “President Mambe has assured us. We have confidence in the CEI that has demonstrated its commitment to organize democratic elections on schedule,” the paper quoted Nicholas Westcott, the UK Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire as saying Tuesday after a meeting with Robert Beugre Mambe, the Chairman of the CEI. The head of the IMF, Doris Ross, who also held a meeting the electoral commissioner, reportedly said: “Based on our assessment, we can affirm that things are on good track.”

4. While efforts are underway for the polls to take place according to plan, L’inter (an independent daily) disclosed that two Ivorian opposition heavyweights, Alassane Dramane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie, would “accept a slight readjustment of the presidential elections.” The paper, which claimed to have culled this information La Lettre du Continent, a French newspaper, added that the two leaders would accept the delay on conditions that “it does not run beyond December 15, 2009.” According to the paper, the issue was on the top of the agenda during a meeting on September 1 between Mr. Ouattara, leader of the opposition RDR party, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The story also claimed that on September 3 Ivorian Prime Minister Guillaume Soro was received by French officials; and quoted Soro as saying that “the delay in the electoral process should be blamed on technical problems.”

5. In a related development, L’inter announced that another opinion poll conducted in Cote d'Ivoire showed President Gbagbo comfortably in the lead. The results of this survey, the paper said, “were very close to a survey conducted earlier by TNS-SOFRES [a French survey institution].”

6. On matters concerning the disarmament, a front-page report in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that the process for the disarmament of 500 former fighters had got underway yesterday in the northern city of Korhogo. According to the paper, the program will involved a group of 1,410 former combatants of the New Forces who should either return to normal life or join Cote d’Ivoire’s new army. Reporting on the same issue, Fraternite Matin said that about 7,703 ex-fighters have so far been demobilized and nearly 2,434 of them have gone through a re-integration process. The paper also indicated that about 18,000 New Forces’ elements are yet to be demobilized and re-integrated.

7. On another development, a report in Fraternite Matin quoted US Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt calling on Ivorians to unite through dialogue. Ambassador Nesbitt, the paper said, was speaking Tuesday during a conference organized by the Information Resources Center (IRC). The program offered the IRC as a venue to present activities, especially related to the American educational system, to the public, the paper said. “Books are engine of cultural exchange,” said a front-page story in Nuit et Jour (a daily close to the opposition) which reported on the program. The paper highlighted Ambassador Nesbitt’s message that underscored the role of the culture in  promoting peace. 

September 9, 2009

Preparations for the November 29, 2009 presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire, especially the ongoing debate over the voters’ roll, made headlines in today’s Ivorian press. The disarmament process; week-long conference on media and civic journalism; the visit of World Bank and IMF’s joint fact-finding delegation in Cote d’Ivoire and reports on a conference organized yesterday by US Embassy’s Information Resources Center (IRC) were the other major stories in the dailies.  

1. Fraternite Matin (state-owned daily): In a prominent story, the paper reported the Ivorian First Lady, Simone Ehivet Gbagbo, who denounced “fake documents” that were purportedly used by people to get registered on the voters’ roll. “We must identify all those who were unlawfully registered on the electoral roll,” the paper quoted Mrs Gbagbo as saying yesterday in Abidjan. The First Lady, the paper said, was speaking at a conference organized by the CNRD (a coalition of parties and movements supportive of President Gbagbo) on how to pre-empt frauds in the up-coming presidential elections. Reporting on the same meeting, Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) quoted Mrs Gbagbo as saying: “There are too many suspicions about the electoral list.” “The CNRD is working for a clean electoral list,” wrote Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party).

2. Further reports on the Ivorian electoral process in Fraternite Matin said that Japan is to send 20 election observers to Cote d’Ivoire as part of November 29 presidential elections. The announcement, the report said, was made Monday by Japanese officials during a meeting with the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). “Our role is to organize transparent elections that respect international standard,” the paper quoted Robert Beugre Mambe, the Chairman of the CEI as saying during the meeting.

3. Addressing a rally yesterday in Anyama, a suburb of Abidjan, Ivorian presidential hopeful Henri Konan Bedie was reported by Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) as saying: “The polls will take place on November 29 on schedule.” Meanwhile, a prominent report in L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) speculated that Jean-Louis Billon, an Ivorian business tycoon, could run for presidency. The paper further described, Billon, a sitting mayor, as what it called “the hope of whole generation.”

4. While preparations for the November 29, 2009 polls are underway, Notre Voie suspected a French “implication” in the Ivorian electoral process. The paper went on to denounce “cozy relations” between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Ivorian opposition leader Alassane Dramane Ouattara. In a commentary, the paper warned against what it termed “the Gabonese example that should serve as a lesson to Nicolas Sarkozy to stay away from the electoral processes currently underway in other Francophone countries, especially in Cote d’ivoire.”

5. With a picture of Gbagbo and Sarkozy engaged in a warm discussion, Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) explained how France has “fabricated and protected” the Ivorian opposition leader who became later a president. The paper also recalled Gbagbo’s six years of political asylum on the French soil and the support offered by the French government to the beleaguered FPI’s regime in the wake of the September 19 foiled coup d’etat that turned to a full-scale rebellion in Cote d’Ivoire.    

6. Reports in many dailies today had it that Ivorian journalists are committed to contribute to peaceful elections in Cote d’Ivoire. Addressing a conference yesterday in Abidjan, reported L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition), the President of the UNJCI (Cote d’Ivoire Journalists association), Criwa Zeli called on the Ivorian political leaders to refrain from “hate speeches” during their campaign. Reporting on the conference, Fraternite Matin said the forum will address many issues including civic journalism among others.

7. On military issues, a report in Fraternite Matin said that a group of soldiers popularly known as “Zinzin and Bahefoue,” who were part of the New Forces, are pressing the Ivorian government to include them in a disarmament program underway in Cote d’Ivoire. The paper cited their integration into the country’s future army and their subsequent promotion as some of the grievances. 

8. The World Bank and IMF’s joint fact-finding mission evaluating an economic reform program underway in Cote d’Ivoire was also a subject of prominent story in Fraternite Matin. The report said that the mission, who arrived in Cote d’Ivoire on September 2, 2009, is currently evaluating an International Monetary Fund-supported economic reform program and attainment of the first stage of debt relief under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) that was approved on March 27, 2009.

9. On another development, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) quoted US Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt as calling on Ivorians to work together to achieve a true reconciliation. Ambassador Nesbitt, the paper said, was speaking yesterday during a conference organized by the US Embassy’s Information Resources Center (IRC). The Ambassador reportedly called on Ivorian political stakeholders to champion national interest. Other dailies including Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party); L’Expression; Notre Voie; Notre Heure; Soir Info (an independent daily) and Ivorian News Agency (www.aip.ci) positively reported on the program highlighting various activities to be carried out by the IRC.

September 8, 2009

News reported in today’s dailies mostly focused on the electoral process underway in Cote d’Ivoire. Delays in the official release of the voters list; new developments in the disarmament program as well as the World Bank’s recommendations for reforms in the Ivorian cocoa and coffee sector were also prominent reports in the press. An anti-corruption campaign initiated by the Association of International Visitors of Cote d’Ivoire (AIVI-CI) also made news. 

1. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) reported on the press statement issued by the Independent Election Commission (CEI) on documents to be submitted by candidates wishing to run in the November 29 presidential elections. The statement, the paper said, came following an uproar generated by a note published last week by the Ministry of Finance requesting candidates to provide a tax clearance certificate.

A prominent story in L’inter (an independent daily) said that the electoral process could be delayed due technical problems that are holding back the data processing exercise. The daily indicated that as at now, 5% of the task is not yet completed. As result, the paper noted that the publication of the voters list, which was originally set for September 15, 2009, would be delayed. The paper therefore called on the different bodies (The Independent Election Commission and the National Commission for the Identification) involved in the electoral process to take necessary measures to speed up the process in order to meet the deadline.

2. On military issue, Le Quotidient (a daily close to the ruling FPI Party) reported that some 18,000 ex-combatants from the New Forces have been demobilized. According to the daily, the information was released by General Soumaila Bakayoko, the New Forces’ Chief of Staff. According to the paper, General Bakayoko was speaking in the margin of a joint meeting with the National Reintegration and Community Rehabilitation Program (PNRRC) in Bouake.

3. A report in L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) said that the Ivorian government has initiated reforms policy in a bid to achieve competiveness in the cocoa and coffee sector. According to paper, the reforms are part of World Bank’s recommendations aimed at ensuring efficiency in the sector. The paper reported Mr. Madani Tall, the Operations Director of the World Bank in Cote d’Ivoire as saying that: “Farmers must be at the heart of these reforms.” Tall, who was speaking after a meeting with President Gbagbo reportedly urged the Ivorian authorities to work on the country’s potentialities to transform the cocoa.

4. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) informed readers that the Association of International Visitors of Cote d’Ivoire (AIVI-CI) will organize an anti-corruption awareness campaign in the central city if Bouake. According to the paper, the program, which was launched in May 2009, focused on fighting against corruption in the United States. The paper quoted Mr. Manlan Ehounou, the Secretary General of AIVI-CI as saying Bouake’s campaign is designed mostly for the youth; and will showcase panelists including the US Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt. 

September 4, 2009

The ongoing peace process was still the major topic in the press today. Reports also focused on the forthcoming elections and consultations initiated by the Independent Elections Commission. Other prominent articles focused on a UN-led peace campaign and moves to fight HIV AIDS in Cote d’Ivoire. Outside Cote d’Ivoire, results of presidential elections in Gabon also made the news. 

1. With 86 days to go to polls in Cote d’Ivoire, the Independent Electoral Commission is being engaged in a series of consultations with the different political parties, said a report in Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily). The move, the paper said, is to consolidate achievements and to hammer out plans to overcome future challenges in a bid to pave the way for successful elections. The head of the electoral commission, Robert Beugre Mambe, reportedly mentioned financial problems as one the major obstacles facing the electoral process. He therefore urged the government of Cote d’Ivoire to fulfill its financial obligations, the report said. The paper further announced that a similar workshop will be soon organized in Yamoussoukro to address problems holding back the implementation of the Integrated Command Center (CCI) – a joint eight thousand government and New Forces contingent – tasked with ensuring security during the electoral process.

2. Still on the peace process, Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) informed readers that the UN Special Envoy to Cote d’Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, recently met with officials of the Ghanaian electoral commission. The purpose of this meeting was to learn from the Ghanaian experience in organizing free and transparent elections, the paper added.

3. Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) announced that today the UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI) will launch a peace campaign dubbed: “ONUCI Tour.” UNOCI’s spokesperson Kenneth Blackman indicated that the program is aimed at encouraging the population to adopt a responsible behavior during the electoral period. 

4. On health issues, a report in Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) said that about 64 national NGOs are engaged in the fight against the disease in the western region of Man, where more than 3% of the population is infected. According to the paper, this was announced by the regional HIV AIDS committee during the presentation of its annual report.

5. Results of the Gabonese presidential elections made headlines in many Ivorian newspapers. A report in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that Ali Ben Bongo, the son of the late President Omar Bongo Ondimba, was officially proclaimed winner of the polls with some 41.73% of the total votes cast. The paper further noted that Ali Bongo, the candidate of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), will assume power following the death of late father who ruled the country for 42 years.       

September 3, 2009

Reports in today’s Ivorian press focused on a meeting held yesterday between the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and representatives of political parties in the run-up to the forthcoming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire. The dailies also talked about new developments in the disarmament and reintegration program of the former combatants. A first evaluation of the International Monetary Fund-supported economic reform program in Cote d’Ivoire and a fund-raising training for members of the Ivorian civil society were the other major items in the newspapers.

1. “More than 70 percent of the data collected during the voter registration and the population identification programs have been processed,” said a report in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin quoting the head of the Independent Electoral Commission, Robert Beugre Mambe. The electoral commissioner, the paper said, was speaking yesterday in Abidjan at a meeting that brought together members of the electoral body and representatives of Ivorian political parties on the electoral process. Mambe, the report further said, reassured political leaders that the provisional election list will be published on September 15 as promised. According to the paper, political leaders expressed concerns about the eligibility conditions that they said are different from one candidate to the other. They were also wary about whether the electoral commission would be able to respect the electoral timetable in regard to some difficulties it has been confronted with, the paper said.

2. Reporting on yesterday’s meeting, Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) quoted the head of the electoral body who assured the political parties that the polls will be held on November 29 according to plan. “The aim of the meeting is to share with you our commitment to organize transparent elections so that peace and stability return to Cote d’Ivoire,” the paper quoted the electoral commissioner as saying. The report also quoted Ivorian opposition leader Alassane Dramane Ouattara who called on everybody to help the electoral commission to prepare the elections. Reacting to the recent nomination of a new President of the Constitutional Council, Ouattara, who was speaking in Abidjan shortly after his returned from France, said: “Gbagbo should have consulted Henri Konan Bedie [leader of the former ruling PDCI-RDA party], Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and me before appointing Paul Yao-N’Dre.”  

3. A front-page story in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) announced that the former ruling PDCI-RDA party had submitted the nomination of Bedie yesterday. The paper further informed readers that Bedie, 75, Ivorian ex-leader, was the second candidate so far who has submitted his nomination for the elections after Felix Akoto Yao, an independent candidate.

4. “Disagreement over the ranks of the New Forces Armed Forces is over,” Fraternite Matin quoted the Ivorian Defense Minister, Michel Amani N’Guessan, as saying. The minister, the paper said, made the declaration yesterday during a meeting on the installation of a joint committee tasked to work out modalities for the integration of 5,000 ex-combatants of the New Forces Armed Forces into Cote d’Ivoire’s future army. “There should be no problem regarding the requirements for recruitment since the question of the ranks to be conferred to the New Forces soldiers has been resolved,” the paper quoted the Defense Minister as saying.

5. More on military issues, a prominent report in L’inter (an independent daily) informed readers about “the plight” of a security unit deployed in the central city of Bouake in connection with the Center of Integrated Command – an eight thousand joint contingent made up of government and New Forces’ elements. According to the paper, the contingent, which was deployed barely a fortnight ago, is living in “miserable conditions” despite its willingness to contribute its quota to the peace process underway in Cote d’Ivoire. Tasked to ensure security during the electoral process, the contingent noted the paper, lacks of equipment.

6. In another development, L’inter reported on a fund-raising training organized for members of the Ivorian civil society in connection with the up-coming presidential elections. Supported by West African Civil Society (an Accra-based Ghanaian rights organization), this capacity-building program focused on strategies of how to collect funds and evaluate an electoral process.

7. On economic issues, a front-page story in Fraternite Matin announced the beginning of the first evaluation of the International Monetary Fund-supported economic reform program in Cote d’Ivoire. According to the paper, this evaluation, which is being conducted by a joint IMF-World Bank fact-finding mission, will run from September 2 through September 16. The paper recalled that in an effort to achieving economic stability, the government of Cote d’Ivoire has been committed since March 27, 2009 to an International Monetary Fund-supported economic reform program and attainment of the first stage of debt relief under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC).  

September 2, 2009

A meeting between the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and potential candidates in the run-up to the forthcoming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire was a subject of front-page stories in today’s Ivorian. The newly-appointed President of the Constitutional Council again made headlines as he has officially assumed duty. Calls for women to contest the coming elections; the disarmament program; a letter from Rev. Jesse Jackson to Ivorians; the state of the media and a conference cashew nut industry were the other major news.

1. A prominent story in the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin said that the countdown for the much-awaited presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire has begun as the CEI is set to meet presidential hopefuls today in Abidjan. The meeting, the paper said, will help the electoral commission to have a clear-cut image of who are the potential candidates in the November 29, 2009 presidential elections. The paper hinted that the meeting will also focus on eligibility requirements that were recently outlined by the electoral commission in regards to recommendations of peace agreements signed by Ivorian political stakeholders.

2. In a front-page story, Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA) informed readers that Henri Konan Bedie, the former Ivorian President and candidate in the November 29 polls will submit his candidacy today. “I’m in hurry to submit this money to the CEI,” the paper quoted Bedie as saying yesterday after cadres of the PDCI-RDA party paid the FCFA 20 million (about 44,000 USD) deposit, one of the conditions to be fulfilled by the potential candidates.

3. As the electoral commission has started receiving nominations for the November 29 elections, a report in L’Expression (a daily close to the opposition) said COFEMCI (an Ivorian women association) encouraged women to contest the polls. Leaders of the organization meeting recently in Abidjan also appealed to the political parties to encourage female candidates said the report. In a related development, a front-page story in L’inter (an independent daily) informed readers that Mrs. Jacqueline Lohoues Oble, a former Justice Minister under the late Felix Houphouet-Boigny’s administration, may stand for presidency. The paper further cited reliable resources as saying that women organizations are pressing Lohoues Oble, a former President of REFAMPCI (Cote d’Ivoire’s Network for Women Ministers and Parliamentarians), to contest the polls.

4. Assuming his official duties yesterday, reported L’inter, the new President of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N’Dre, said: “My job would have been easy if Bedie were not candidate [in the up-coming elections], since as a former President, he would have been a member of the Constitutional Council.” The paper further quoted Yao N’Dre pledging to abide by the Constitution in the discharge of his duties. In a bid to buttress the Constitutional Council’s “credibility,” Yao N’Dre promised to allow all public and private organizations to have access to this institution, said a report in Fraternite Matin. 

5. On matters concerning the disarmament program, Fraternite Matin quoted New Forces’ commander Cherif Ousmane as saying that “the cantonment of the former fighters in Bouake has been completed.” Ousmane also announced that about 2,500 to 3,000 former fighters have been shortlisted to go through medical and physical tests; and the results of these check-ups would help determine who qualifies to join Cote d’Ivoire’s future army, said the report.

6. More on the disarmament program, a report in L’Expression had it that out of 5.300 former fighters, only 1,824 have, so far, been reintegrated as part of a United Nations-backed micro-project initiative. In a related development, a front-page report in Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) said that former militiamen based in western Cote d’Ivoire are pressing the Ivorian authorities to pay them FCFA 500,000 (about 1084 USD) as part of their demobilization. According to the paper, the militiamen recently issued a statement threatening to embark on an indefinite strike from September 7, 2009.

7. A front-page report in Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) said that Rev. Jesse Jackson, who visited Cote d’Ivoire a fortnight ago, has sent a message to the people of Cote d’Ivoire inviting them to keep the flame of hope alive. “Your country’s cultural diversity should be seen as a source of tolerance and not as a seed of division,” the paper quoted the message as saying.

8. On media-related issues, a front-page story in Notre Voie said that the gendarmerie yesterday questioned the Director and Publisher of Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition), Toure Moussa, over an article relative to the promotion of government’s armed officers. The paper quoted Toure as saying that during his interrogation it was notified to him that the article could incite New Forces to revolt. Meanwhile, a report by AFP (French News Agency) said that Toure was not formerly charged after this interrogation. [NOTE: In its September 1, 2009’s issue Nord-Sud Quotidien disclosed that government’s military officers have been promoted by President Gbagbo. The paper published a list of the military officers, who it said, were promoted according to a decree signed on August 6 by the Ivorian President.]  

9. On economic issues, L’intelligent d’Abidjan (an independent daily) quoted US Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt as saying that “time has come to do business in Africa,” and added that “with our common efforts, we can attain this objective.” Ambassador Nesbitt, the paper said, was speaking Tuesday in Abidjan during the 4^th international conference on cashew nut industry. The paper also reported Ambassador Nesbitt encouraging participants at the 3-day conference to map out strategies that can help boost the cashew nut industry. Reporting on the same conference, Fraternite Matin said that cashew nut industry is a supplement to Cote d’Ivoire’s coffee and cocoa sector. The paper quoted figures as saying that the production of cashew nut in Cote d’Ivoire will increase from 330,000 tons in 2008 to 340,000 tons in 2009, making this country to become the first producer of this commodity in Africa and second on the world market after India.

September 1, 2009

New developments in the Ivorian electoral process, especially the political atmosphere in Cote d’Ivoire ahead of the November 29, 2009 presidential elections, were the major items in Tuesday’s press. Reports also focused on the growing insecurity on the Ivorian highways; the promotion of government’s army officers and measures being put in place by Ivorian soccer authorities to pre-empt another disaster at the Abidjan Stadium.

1. L’inter (an independent daily) announced that the publication of the provisional election list, initially scheduled for August 24, will take place on September 15 at the latest. The paper, which cited a statement issued on Monday by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), also said: “The slight technical readjustment on the publication date of provisional election lists will not have any repercussion on date of the polls set for November 29, 2009.” The paper further quoted the CEI as saying that the processing of data collected during the voter registration and population identification programs have, so far, been completed in 60 percent of the 70 centers where the exercise is taking place.   

2. However, a report in Soir Info (an independent daily) said that despite efforts being deployed by the authorities in Cote d’Ivoire in a bid to speed up the electoral process, the November 29, 2009 presidential elections still hang in the balance. In a separate story, the paper tried to compare Cote d’Ivoire’s electoral process to the events unfolding in Gabon following Sunday’s controversial election where three candidates had reportedly claimed victory before the official results. The paper predicted that, just like these three principal candidates in Gabon, President Laurent Gbagbo, Henri Konan Bedie (ex-Ivorian President and candidate for the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) and the Ivorian opposition heavyweight, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, may refuse to accept defeat after the up-coming presidential elections. The paper warned that if the polls end up in such situation, this could lead to what it called “street violence.” In a bid to pre-empt this happening in Cote d’Ivoire, the paper urged the electoral commission to produce “a clean electoral list.”

3. In an interview with the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin, a leading Ivorian opposition figure said: “No candidate can win upright after the first round in the up-coming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire.” The leader of the Movement of the Forces of Future (MFA), Innocent Anaky Kobena, who was presenting his party’s manifesto in the run-up to the coming polls called on Ivorians to “trust President Gbagbo and his Prime Minister.” In a related development, Fraternite Matin noted that almost a week after the electoral commission invited potential candidates to submit their nominations, the major contestants are still dragging their feet. 

4. A commentary in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the former ruling PDCI-RDA party) claimed that the Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro, who wanted to use the November 29 elections as “an honorable exit” might decide to resign his position if the polls were delayed. The paper went on to suggest that the resignation of Soro would throw Gbagbo in what it called “uncomfortable situation.” However, the paper was quick to point out that Gbagbo would not relinquish power either as a result of this resignation, but he would rather try to rebuild his power.

5. Gbagbo’s strategy to retain power in the up-coming presidential elections was a subject of front-page story in L’inter. In the face of an aggressive opposition, wrote the paper, Gbagbo is determined to leave no stone unturned to win the polls. According to the paper, the ruling FPI party has crafted what it termed “FPI’s secret plan” to stay in power. According to the paper, FPI’s campaign strategy includes an exercise that consists of taking store of the current problems facing Ivorians and proposing solutions to resolve them.

6. Meanwhile, in a front-page story, Le Patriote (a daily close to the opposition RDR party) called upon members of RHDP, an Ivorian opposition coalition made up of four major parties, to join force in order to win the coming elections. Referring to the results of 2001 local elections in Cote d’Ivoire, the paper described the opposition coalition as “a political giant” capable to defeat the ruling party unless its members are united.

7. On military issues, a front-page story in Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the opposition) disclosed that government’s military officers have been promoted by President Gbagbo. The paper published a list of the military officers, who it said, were promoted according to a decree signed on August 6 by the Ivorian President.

8. In a related development, a report in Fraternite Matin said that CECOS – an Abidjan-based special security unit – has cracked down on armed robbers who operate on Ivorian highways. According to the paper, for some time now, there has been growing insecurity on the Ivorian roads, especially the highways, due to armed robbers’ attacks.

9. Finally, as Cote d’Ivoire is set to clash with Burkina Faso on September 5, a report in Fraternite Matin said that Ivorian soccer authorities have put in place impressive security measures to pre-empt an incident that killed at least 19 people and injured about 132 last March in Abidjan. Saturday’s match is part of 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.