AMBASSADOR MEETS FORMER PRESIDENT BEDIE

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