COTE D'IVOIRE: POSTAL WORKERS ON STRIKE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000174

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2017
TAGS: ELAB PGOV ECON ASEC IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: POSTAL WORKERS ON STRIKE

Classified By: POL/ECON Jim Wojtasiewicz, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (U) Workers from the Ivorian state postal company &Poste
de Cote d,Ivoire8 led by the main union, the National Post
and Telecommunications Union (SYNAPOSTEL) went on strike on
February 9 in opposition to a court ruling reinstating the
former Director General Sebastien ZEHI, who had been sacked
in September 2006 for malfeasance. As a result, mail
distribution and other postal operations have been disrupted
throughout the country.


2. (C) In June 2006, SYNAPOSTEL went on strike to demand that
Zehi be removed from office because of allegations that he
embezzled company assets. According to union sources, 27 out
of 57 vehicles donated by China vanished, and video
conferencing equipment that appeared on the books as paid for
never arrived. Zehi is another crony of President Gbagbo,
and union sources are convinced that these assets or the
money from selling them ended up in the coffers of Gbagbo,s
FPI (Ivoirian Popular Front) party. In September, Zehi was
dismissed by the Board of Directors and replaced by a new
Director General, Omer Konan Kan.


3. (U) Zehi went to court to challenge the Board,s
determination, and in early February the national Appeals
Court vacated the Board,s decision and reinstated Zehi. The
Court based its decision on the assertion that Director
Generals of public institutions are appointed or removed from
office solely by presidential decree.


4. (C) On February 14, the Supreme Court suspended Zehi,s
reinstatement until it holds a hearing on the matter March 5.
Union sources tell us they have no intention of calling off
the strike because of this temporary measure.


5. (U) This strike has disrupted commerce but has not brought
it to a halt. Companies that normally send bills by mail now
must use courier services such as DHL. People who normally
pay bills by mail now must use money transfer services such
as Western Union.


5. (C) Comment. President Gbagbo very jealously guards his
asserted right to have sole power to hire and fire senior
officials. The fact that UN Security Council Resolution 1721
indirectly calls for the Prime Minister to share this power
was the biggest reason he cited for refusing to fully
implement the resolution. On the other hand, this was one of
the most important points on which the French wanted the
authority of the resolution to take precedence, if necessary,
over the Ivoirian constitution.


6. (C) By our reading of the constitution, technically it is
the Council of Ministers that decides on hiring and firing
senior officials. Article 51 states in part, "The Council of
Ministers deliberates obligatorily...on the nominations to
the senior offices of the State..." However, the President
does preside over the Council of Ministers and its decisions
are put into effect by presidential decree. In any case,
Zehi's dismissal was not brought before the Council of
Ministers so we expect the Supreme Court to ultimately uphold
the lower court,s decision to reinstate him. End Comment.

Hooks