March 30, 2010

Ivorian newspapers again pondered the future of Cote d’Ivoire’s interminable electoral process amidst fresh rows over the disarmament of the rebel. A US Embassy-sponsored English competition and a statement issued by the ruling FPI party hailing the bill on President Obama’s health package that was recently passed by the Congress also made headlines in the press.

1. “Without disarmament, no election,” said a banner headline that ran across the state-owned daily Fraternite Matin. The paper attributed this statement to the Ivorian Defense Minister, Michel Amani N’Guessan, who was speaking Monday at the opening of a seminar discussing the Ivorian army reform. [Note: The Defense Minister is close to the ruling FPI party. End note] Sponsored by the UNDP, the seminar has brought together heads of the government army and the New Forces as well as other stakeholders; and will come out with a blueprint seeking to reform and create a new national army for Cote d’Ivoire, said the paper. The report further said that the Defense Minister used the occasion to denounce “the existence of two armies” in Cote d’Ivoire, adding that “this situation hampers powers vested in a republican army.”
2. A prominent story in L’inter (an independent daily) said that the defense minister, who was speaking yesterday on the national TV, threatened to crack down on what he called “renegade” within the New Forces. According to the paper, the minister also denounced the behavior of some New Forces’ soldiers who are trying “to sabotage” the peace process.
3. The Ivorian defense minister was also in the limelight in Le Nouveau Reveil (a daily close to the opposition PDCI-RDA party) that quoted him as saying: “The elections are not for tomorrow.” According to the paper, the minister, who was speaking Monday at a seminar, backed the ruling FPI party’s demand for the disarmament of the former rebels as a precondition for the Ivorian long-delayed presidential elections. Amani N’Guessan was also quoted as saying that “Cote d’Ivoire does not have money to disband 20,000 former fighters.” With more on this issue, the paper quoted the UNDP Country Director, Andre Carvalho, as saying that “the resolution of military issues should not constitute an impediment to efforts aimed at organizing peaceful elections.”
4. In a related development, Le Nouveau Reveil carried a commentary wondering whether the presidential camp and the New Forces that signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement would spare Ivorians the trouble of another “war”. According to the paper, the two factions differ over the application of what it called “a historic” peace deal signed in March 2007 between President Gbagbo and former rebel leader-turned Prime Minister Guillaume Soro. The paper went on to warn that if solutions are not quickly found to the fresh rows over the voter registration and the disarmament of the former rebels, Cote d’Ivoire could run the risk of “a total chaos.” The paper also noted that the crisis that followed President Gbagbo’s ousting of the head of the Independent Electoral Commission and the government was hardly over when the presidential camp has decided to bring forward other demands including the disarmament and the reunification of the country as preconditions for the much-awaited elections. The paper further recalled the defense minister’s recent statement calling the former rebels “bandits”; and added that the minister’s tough position is a sign of “bad omen”. To conclude, the paper hinted that militia groups supporting the ruling FPI party are getting back to “duty”; whilst the New Forces seem not ready for defeat.  
5. Reporting on the army reform seminar that kicked off yesterday, Le Temps (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) informed readers that top military officers from the government forces walked out of the meeting to denounce “another farce” that they refused to endorse. Citing reliable sources, the paper hinted that the disgruntled military officers were quoted as saying that the priority today is the disarmament.
6. As the rows over the rebel disarmament, the reunification of the country and the voter register continue, Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) carried a commentary entitled: “The bandits are anxious; as the western film gets to the end,” with a picture of opposition figure Alassane Ouattara as illustration. The paper explained that the end of the western film, which it attributed to President Gbagbo, simply means that Cote d’Ivoire is definitely poised for peace. 
7. Meanwhile, a front-page story in Le Jour Plus (a daily close to the opposition) announced that the RHDP opposition coalition is planning street demonstrations to press for elections. In a related development, Soir Info (an independent daily) told readers that leaders of the opposition coalition have given a one-month deadline to President Gbagbo to publish the final voters’ list. “We give this deadline to the Head of State because he is the one who is delaying the elections. The head of the electoral commission cannot do anything as long as the Head of State is not willing to go the polls,” the paper quoted a leading opposition leader as saying.
8. Another report in Soir Info said that the head of the Jimmy Carter Center in Cote d’Ivoire, Sabina Vigani, deplored the continuing delay of the presidential elections. According to the paper, Vigani, who was speaking yesterday in Abidjan after a meeting with the head of the electoral commission, expressed hope that the Ivorian political stakeholders will come out with a date for the polls; adding that the continuing delay of the elections does not give Cote d’Ivoire “a good” image.
9. On American and Ivorian bilateral issues, Le Jour Plus told readers that the US Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire supported an English competition designed for students. The paper quoted Ambassador Nesbitt, who was present at the ceremony, as saying that English is the language of Internet and also the language of business and international trade. According to the paper, Ambassador Nesbitt congratulated the organizers and promised to support the competition.
10. A bill on President Barrack Obama’s health package, which was recently passed by the US Congress, was hailed in a statement issued by the ruling FPI party in Cote d’Ivoire. The statement, which was published by Notre Voie, quoted President Obama as saying: “Today, we’ve saved the life of millions of Americans,” and went on to describe the vote as “a victory” for the American President. In a commentary, the paper noted that Obama’s health package is similar to the one President Gbagbo initiated shortly after he assumed power. After encouraging President Obama to overcome all obstacles in the implementation of this program, the FPI exhorts the American people to support President Obama in its effort to bring about “a new era” to the United States, said the paper.