Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ABIDJAN955
2007-09-11 16:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abidjan
Cable title:  

COTE D'IVOIRE: FPI THINKS ELECTIONS WILL SOLVE

Tags:  PGOV KDEM IV 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4277
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #0955/01 2541654
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 111654Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3513
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0461
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0846
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000955 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W-EPLUMB AND INR/AA-BGRAVES, LONDON FOR RBELL,
PARIS FOR GD'ELIA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: FPI THINKS ELECTIONS WILL SOLVE
CRISIS

REF: A. ABIDJAN 900


B. ABIDJAN 864

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES CYNTHIA AKUETTEH FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) A
ND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000955

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W-EPLUMB AND INR/AA-BGRAVES, LONDON FOR RBELL,
PARIS FOR GD'ELIA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: FPI THINKS ELECTIONS WILL SOLVE
CRISIS

REF: A. ABIDJAN 900


B. ABIDJAN 864

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES CYNTHIA AKUETTEH FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) A
ND (D)


1. (C) Summary. Ivorian Popular Front (Front Populaire
Ivoirien - FPI) Secretary General Sylvain Miaka Ouretto told
Poloff September 7 that the FPI is not "against France," but
that France should treat Cote d'Ivoire as a partner. Ouretto
said elections are the solution to Cote d'Ivoire's crisis and
that elections can be held before the civil administration is
completely redeployed to the north and west and before
disarmament is completed. He added that elections cannot be
put off until everything is fixed and called for assistance
from the international community for implementation of the
Ouagadougou Political Accord (OPA) and reconstruction. End
Summary.


2. (C) FPI Secretary General Sylvain Miaka Ouretto told
Poloff September 7 that the FPI supports free enterprise,
freedom, universal health care, and decentralization.
Ouretto noted that liberty means that citizens have the right
to choose their leader. Ouretto added that, while the
Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire (Parti Democratique de la
Cote d'Ivoire - PDCI) believes Cote d'Ivoire's policies
should be closely aligned with France, President Gbagbo's FPI
believes Cote d'Ivoire should engage with the foreign
countries that provide the most support and assistance to the
country. Ouretto stated that the 2002 coup d'etat was a
reaction to the Gbagbo government's shift away from France
and openness to globalization because the FPI's new vision
negatively affected certain special interests. Ouretto went
on to say that the French press, in league with opposition
politicians Alassane Dramane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie,
have accused the Gbagbo administration of engaging in murder
and child labor. Ouretto explained that the FPI is not
against France, but believes France should treat Cote
d'Ivoire as a partner and President Gbagbo as "the President
of a sovereign state" who decides his country's future
without taking orders from Paris.


3. (C) Ouretto said elections are the solution to Cote

d'Ivoire's crisis and noted that the Ouagadougou Political
Accord (OPA) calls for elections in the first trimester of

2008. He explained that when President Gbagbo called for
quick elections (Reftel B),he was encouraging the country's
institutions to start working in order to hold elections as
quickly as possible. Ouretto added that some misinterpreted
Gbagbo's words, accusing him of trying to organize fraudulent
elections. Ouretto said President Gbagbo will accept the
voters' choice, even if he loses. He added that the FPI
accepted defeat in the most recent legislative and municipal
elections and stated that those elections proved that the
country's institutions can carry out fair and free elections.
Ouretto told Poloff that the Independent Electoral
Commission has responsibility for setting the date of the
elections. According to Ouretto, some have proposed that
elections be held in 2010 in order to keep Gbagbo from
running for President by arguing that he will have completed
two 5-year terms in 2010, the maximum allowed by the
Constitution. Ouretto said such an argument is specious
because Gbagbo was only able to serve 2 years of his term
before the coup d'etat. (Comment: Ouretto clearly meant that
Gbagbo should be considered to have served only one term as
President and be allowed to run for another term, but it
seems unlikely that Ouretto meant that Gbagbo should be
allowed to run for 2 additional terms of office. End
Comment.)


4. (C) Ouretto argued that elections can be held before the
civil administration is completely redeployed to the north
and west and before disarmament is completed. He said the
government will do what is "essential" and the "rest will
come later." He added that the country cannot wait to hold
elections until everything is fixed and perfect and said
reconstruction and development will be tasks to be handled by
whichever government is elected. Ouretto said Cote d'Ivoire
needs help from the international community for
implementation of the OPA. He asked for "continuation of
U.S. support" for Cote d'Ivoire and stated Cote d'Ivoire
needs assistance from the international community for
reconstruction and redeployment of the administration.


5. (C) Comment. Ouretto's comments underscore the impression
that Gbagbo is pushing for elections as soon as possible and
that he does not consider full OPA implementation to be

ABIDJAN 00000955 002 OF 002


essential before elections can be held (Reftel A). It seems
likely that the government will wait until there has been
enough progress on the OPA, for example that the audiences
foraines have gone on for several weeks, to give the
elections some legitimacy. The danger is that the opposition
will not be satisfied with partial implementation of the OPA
and will boycott the elections, once again raising doubts
about the legitimacy of the Ivorian government.

AKUETTEH