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Ivorian Political Leaders Committed to Free, Fair October Election

   Peter Clottey 08 September 2010
   Ivory  Coast's  Prime  Minister  Guillaume  Soro  (R)  speaks during a
   meeting  with President Laurent Gbagbo (2ndL) and party leaders at the
   presidential palace in Abidjan ahead of a presidential poll on October
   31, 2010, 06 Sep 2010

Photo: AFP

   Ivory  Coast's  Prime  Minister  Guillaume  Soro  (R)  speaks during a
   meeting  with President Laurent Gbagbo (2ndL) and party leaders at the
   presidential palace in Abidjan ahead of a presidential poll on October
   31, 2010, 06 Sep 2010

   A  special  adviser  to  Ivorian  President  Laurent  Gbagbo  said the
   countryâs  political  leaders  have unanimously agreed in principle to
   resolve  all  outstanding  issues  to ensure the 31^st October general
   election is not derailed.

   Lambert  Bahi  Sery told VOA the leaders also encouraged the electoral
   commission to publish the voter register this week ahead of the vote.

   âThe  President  (Laurent  Gbagbo)  and  the Prime Minister (Guillaume
   Soro)  met  with  two  of  the major opponents, former President Henri
   Konan  Bedie  and  Alassane  Draman  Ouatarra. They discussed the last
   steps toward the elections. The meeting also discussed the voter list.
   Everybody  wants  a  free  and  fair  election and that depends on the
   quality of the electoral list that you have,â he said.

   Sery  said the political leaders urged the chairman of the independent
   electoral  commission  to  provide  a  credible voter register for the
   upcoming October general election.

   Backed  by  the  Economic  Community  of West African States (ECOWAS),
   Burkinabe  President  Blaise Compaore has been mediating talks between
   Ivory  Coastâs political leaders as part of the regional blocâs effort
   to  help  return  the  country  to  constitutional rule after years of
   conflict.

   The  Ivorian  leaders  also  planned  talks  in the Burkinabe capital,
   Ouagadougou, to be mediated by President Compaore.

   âThey  agreed to have a meeting in Burkina Faso around 17^th September
   to  discuss  with  the mediator about some details regarding the peace
   process and the organization of the elections.â

   The  country is divided into two following the 2002 civil war with the
   rebel held north and the government controlled south.

   The  2007  peace  accord  signed  in  Ouagadougou  stipulates that the
   country  must  be  re-united  before  any  election  that will restore
   constitutional  order.  Sery  said  Ivory  Coast  has  made tremendous
   progress in efforts to unify the country ahead of the election.

   âThe  re-unification  of  the  country is already ongoing. There is no
   problem. They started regrouping the military of the (rebels) into the
   different  sites  that  have  been  proposed  for their regrouping and
   disarmament.  And  then,  some  of the administrative bodies are being
   redeployed  in  this  zone.  So,  the  process  on that side is moving
   smoothly.â

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