Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ABIDJAN77
2008-02-01 18:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abidjan
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR MEETS FORMER PRESIDENT BEDIE

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM IV 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHAB #0077/01 0321818
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 011818Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3958
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0868
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000077 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W-EPLUMB, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER-RKANEDA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IV
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS FORMER PRESIDENT BEDIE

REF: 07 ABIDJAN 1187

Classified By: Pol/Econ Section Chief Silvia Eiriz for reasons 1.4 (b/d
)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000077

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W-EPLUMB, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER-RKANEDA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IV
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS FORMER PRESIDENT BEDIE

REF: 07 ABIDJAN 1187

Classified By: Pol/Econ Section Chief Silvia Eiriz for reasons 1.4 (b/d
)


1. (C) Summary. Ambassador met on January 31 with Henri Konan
Bedie, former President of Cote d'Ivoire and current leader
and presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Cote
d'Ivoire (Parti Democratique de la Cote d'Ivoire - PDCI).
Bedie expressed doubt about whether President Gbagbo is truly
committed to holding elections in 2008, but believes it will
be possible to hold elections in August or September 2008 as
long as the identification process begins immediately. He
told the Ambassador elections should not be put off until the
disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) process
is completed. Bedie expressed disappointment with what he
termed the international community's unwillingness to be more
involved in Cote d'Ivoire. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Ambassador met on January 31 with Henri Konan Bedie,
former President of Cote d'Ivoire (1993-1999) and leader and
presidential candidate of the PDCI political party. The
Ambassador told Bedie that the United States believes Cote
d'Ivoire needs to restore peace and stability, and that there
appears to be a consensus that a new presidential election
will put the country on a new path.

Elections
--------------


3. (C) Bedie stated that holding elections will be a major
step in addressing Cote d'Ivoire's crisis, but agreed that
elections alone won't solve the country's problems. Bedie
told the Ambassador that it is not yet possible to determine
when elections will be held. He said the role of the
technical operator for the identification process, French
company SAGEM, needs to be agreed upon and funding to carry
out the elections must be identified. The Ambassador
expressed concern that it might not be possible to complete
the identification process in time to hold elections in 2008;
Bedie responded that it will be possible to hold elections as
early as August or September 2008 as long as the
identification process begins immediately. Bedie expressed
no particular concern about the fact that the DDR process is

not likely to be completed before elections. He explained
that while he has concerns about holding elections before DDR
is finished, waiting until the process is completed will
delay elections too long.


4. (C) Bedie expressed doubt about whether President Gbagbo
is really committed to holding elections in 2008, noting that
it will be difficult for Gbagbo to win. He believes Gbagbo
will try to stay in office without holding elections until

2010. (Bedie will be ineligible to run in 2010 when he turns
75.) Bedie accused the President's camp of making decisions
that slow down the peace process without consulting with the
President, for example, he noted that although the key
political actors resolved the question of what role the
National Institute of Statistics (Institut National de la
Statistique - INS) should play in the audiences foraines
process some time ago, members of Gbagbo's inner circle
continue to raise the issue. He expressed concern about
Interior Minister Desire Tagro's attempts to give the INS a
prominent role in the identification process that is
connected to voter registration (See Reftel). Bedie said the
Independent Electoral Commission's (Commission Electorale
Independante - CEI) role is crucial to having transparent
elections.

Resumption of Violence
--------------


5. (C) Bedie said the alleged attempted coup by 2002
rebellion mastermind Ibrahim Coulibaly (aka IB) and the June
attack on Prime Minister Soro's plane indicate that the
Forces Nouvelles (FN) has not totally renounced violence.
Bedie characterized those events as a settling of scores
among the FN. Bedie said that IB, who appeared to be
planning to overthrow the current government in a video
posted on YouTube in January 2008, is not popular among
Ivoirians and dismissed him as a serious political contender,
portraying him as practically illiterate.


Role of International Community
--------------


6. (C) Bedie expressed disappointment with what he described
as the international community's unwillingness to become

ABIDJAN 00000077 002 OF 002


involved in Cote d'Ivoire. He added that he is convinced the
international community will not take action even if there is
a resumption of violence. The Ambassador noted that the
United States had acted promptly to impose bilateral
sanctions and that sanctions remain in place. She told Bedie
that the international community cannot impose a solution
upon Cote d'Ivoire, however. The root causes that led to the
country's crisis must be resolved by Ivoirians. Ambassador
Nesbitt told Bedie that the United States will continue to
encourage Ivoirian leaders to hold transparent elections in

2008.


7. (C) Comment. Bedie's belief that Gbagbo will delay
elections until 2010 may be based on his personal concern
that in 2010 Bedie will be eliminated as a presidential
candidate due to the constitutional age restriction of 75.
Although Bedie told the Ambassador that he plans to travel
around the country, he has not mounted an energetic campaign
thus far. While still ambitious, Bedie came across as being
out of touch with today's Cote d'Ivoire, especially the
country's youth, who make up almost half the population. End
Comment.
NESBITT