Cote d’Ivoire Election Results in Confusion
Alassane Outtara: would be Cote d'Ivoire's first Muslim president (from www.ivoiremonde.tv)
Two candidates are claiming victory in Cote d’Ivoire’s recent presidential elections.After first announcing the election for opposition candidate Alassane Outtara, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was declared the winner. The Independent Electoral Commission holds Outtara as the elected president, while Gbagbo, supported by the results of the Constitutional council, has refused to concede.
Writing for the Peace and Development network, Firouzeh Afsharnia, was an international observer for the electoral process and offers a first-hand account of the lead up to the contested outcome:
“As the international community, Obama and Sarkozy extend their congratulations to Ouattara, Gbagbo is asking the United Nations to leave and denounces foreign intrigue behind the support for his rival.
Both men are sworn in as Presidents. So much for reconciliation.”
The country is naturally tense and there is the real possibility and fear that the inability to reach common ground may lead to violence. BBC has a nice introduction to the background of the election, including the preexisting tension between the North and South of the country that is due in part to issues of religion and origin. Read it here.
Search for Common Ground has been active advocating for peaceful elections in Cote d’Ivoire. Prior to the election, we engaged in partnership with UNDP and the Independent Electoral Commission with a series of activities aimed at raising awareness among the Ivorian population about the importance of a peaceful electoral process. In particular our radio programs focused on citizenship, participation and the risks of misinformation and political manipulation. Especially considering the tension and confusion following the conflicting election results, the culture of dialogue that Search aims to foster is incredibly important to nurture and maintain.
If you have any news about the situation in Cote d’Ivoire, we’d love to hear from you!
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Ban Ki Moon would like nothing better than to get Gbagbo out of the way, so that the world would never know the magnitude of his his organization’s bungling and meddling!
Disinformation is running rife on this subject. For, the so called international community it is very convenient to pile on… accusing Gbagbo of being just another African dictator clinging to power, because this is like a familiar cliche. But this is much more complex, and EVERY single article published by western media fails deliberately to include relevant facts, such as:
– there was rampant intimidation, vote rigging. violence and other irregularities in the rebel controlled zone
– the electoral rules were not respected….the delay for proclaiming the results were over….the partisan head of the electoral commission fled in the dark of night, alone without any other member of the commission to the opposition candidate’s headquarters to proclaim some manufactured provisional results to the foreign press.
– Only the Highest court of the land can certify the final results after taking into account all complaints duly submitted.
– The blatant disregard by the United Nations representative going beyond their designated role…and “”certifying” these results that were pulled from a hat under duresse…blatant meddling in the affairs of a sovereign country……..very much forbidden by the UN charter!
– “They” keep mentioning that the Highest court chief was a Gbagbo ally, but never ever mention that the electoral commission was packed with opposition allies. Doesn’t a President in every country name Supreme Court judges,etc. Should they name their enemies, or should the opposition name those judges?
– Weren’t the 2000 elections in the United States decided by the Supreme Court, ultimate arbiter? Wasn’t Clarence Thomas the deciding vote, he who was named by George Bush Senior? Did Gore go set up a parallel Presidency in the Watergate Hotel? Did the UN, EU, rest of the world meddle then to ask GWB to step down, oreven when the said President elect started an illegal war and invaded a country on a false pretext?
– before this, the UN was also charged with ensuring that the rebels in the North were disarmed which they did NOT do. This was a pre-condition for the elections; the UN LIED and said that the rebels had disarmed.
All the Northern area controlled by the rebels was fraught with violence, intimidation, grave irregullarities.
– the vendetta of French President Sarkosy against Gbagbo (long Story)…French wanting to control the economy of the Ivory Coat, on their terms.
– The French threatening the West African nations (4/15) to sanction Gbagbo, African Union obliged to tow the party line, inciting the EU to impose sanctions, the Security Council to reprimand and sanction. Sarkosy is a long standing intimate friend of opposition candidate Ouattara, and wants someone he can control. He has long been trying to get Ouattara in power, and this time is not being subtle about it.
– Now the United Nations are arming and transporting the rebels.
They are preparing the ground for another Rwanda type situation, and do not care….same inciters FRANCE, UNITED NATIONS
The so called International community needs to back off, cool down, stop encouraging strife and division. That is making Ouattara/rebels believe they can get away with illegality, fraud, murder.
The people of the IVory Coast DO NOT WANT the UN….Ouattara will never be allowed to rule the Ivory Coast….he and his armed rebels have been responsible for too much grief and suffering.
– Finally, it would seem that elections only matter to the West when the issue is the candidate they want (remember Hamas, Chavez, Iran….)
laurent gbagbo should accept the defeat by quttara and to do this with the seriousness it deserve to avoid chaos as it happened in kenya