COTE D'IVOIRE: PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT

UNCLAS STATE 100175 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPKO IC SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT ¶1. (U) USUN is authorized to join consensus on issuance of a Presidential Statement on September 29, expressing concern at delays in preparations for the November 29 presidential and parliamentary elections in Cote d'Ivoire, and urging the Ivorian parties to respect their commitment to the electoral timeline. Mission should consult with Washington if there are any substantive changes to the text of the Statement (paragraph 2). ¶2. (U) Begin text: (1) The Security Council reiterates its full support to the Ougadougou political process and to the electoral timeline endorsed by all the main Ivorian political actors and leading to the first round of open, free, fair and transparent presidential elections on 29 November 2009. It commends the Facilitator, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, for his continued efforts to support the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire. (2) The Security Council further reiterates its determination to bring its full support to a credible electoral process and highlights the importance of an inclusive participation of the Ivorian civil society. It stresses that it has extended to this end the mandate and the troop level of the United Nations Operation in Cte d,Ivoire (UNOCI),most recently in its resolution 1880 (2009). It further stresses that it expressed in this resolution its intention to authorize the Secretary-General to redeploy troops, as may be needed, between the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and UNOCI. (3) The Security Council expresses its concern at the delayed publication of the provisional voters list, and highlights that further delays in the publication of the voters list may put at risk the timeline for open, free, fair and transparent presidential elections. (4) The Security Council recalls that the Ivorian political actors are bound to respect the electoral timeline. It urges all Ivorian political actors to comply fully with their commitments, in order for the voters list to be published in the next weeks in the framework of a transparent and inclusive process. It recalls that the Special Representative of the Secretary General will certify the voters list explicitly. (5) The Security Council will review the situation by 15 October 2009, consistent with its resolution 1880 (2009). It expresses its intention to react as appropriate towards those who would be accountable for blocking the progress of the electoral process. It further expresses its intention to launch an active reflection on the future direction of UNOCI by reviewing its mandate and the benchmarks for a possible drawdown of the operation by 15 October in light of the progress of the electoral process. It stresses that UNOCI's presence in Cote d'Ivoire is temporary. End text. CLINTON