New Government Announced; Opposition Slots Still Vacant

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000077 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/24 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID ASEC IV SUBJECT: New Government Announced; Opposition Slots Still Vacant CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Townswick, Pol/Econ Chief; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On February 23, the new, slightly streamlined Ivoirian government was announced; 11 ministerial slots reserved for the various opposition parties remain vacant, as the opposition has refused to participate until the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is reconstituted. Sixteen ministries remain with the ruling FPI and the Forces Nouvelles, whose incumbents still control important posts such as Defense, Interior, and Justice. The country is fairly calm as the opposition awaits the reinstatement of the CEI (expected February 25) with new leadership. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On February 23, the Presidency issued a decree naming the new government. The number of ministries has been reduced from 33 to 27; 11 were allocated to the opposition parties (Foreign Affairs and African Integration; Agriculture; Commerce; Transport; Infrastructure; New Technologies and Information Communication; Higher Education; Health and Public Hygiene; Environment, Urban Sanitation, and Water and Forestry; Family and Social Affairs; and Culture and Francophonie). As the opposition has remained steadfast in refusing to participate in the government until the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is reinstated, no names were announced for these positions. ¶3. (U) PM Soro subsequently held a press conference at which he confirmed that CEI president Robert Mambe and all four of his vice-presidents are to be replaced. New leaders are to be named by February 25. The general expectation is that the opposition will name its ministers once the new CEI is in place. Soro also indicated that the target timeframe for elections is now late April-early May. FPI and FN Ministries ¶4. (U) There were no changes to the following ministries: AIDS, Dr. Christine Adjobi (FPI); Economy and Finance, Charles Diby (civil society); Defense, Michel Amani N'Guessan (FPI); Interior, Desire Tagro (FPI); Planning, Paul Bohoun Bouabre (FPI); Justice and Human Rights, Kone Mamadou (FN); Animal Production and Husbandry, Alphonse Douati (FPI); Tourism and Handicrafts, Sidiki Konate (FN); Education, Gilbert Bleu Laine (presidential majority); and Communications, Ibrahim Sy Savane (FN). ¶5. (U) There are three new ministers: Emile Guirieoulou (FPI, deputy from Guiglo),Civil Service and Employment; Tiemoko Meyliet Kone (FN, Soro's former cabinet director),Construction, Urban Planning and Housing; and Benjamin Atse Yapo (FPI),Technical Education and Vocational Training. There were also some ministerial swaps, with Augustin Kouadio Komoe (FPI) moving from Culture and Francophonie to Mines and Energy, and Theodore Mel Eg (presidential majority) transferring from the(now defunct)Urban Sanitation to Youth and Sports. Slight Streamlining ¶6. (U) The number of ministries was reduced from 33 to 27, with the Ministries of National Reconciliation (FPI); National Solidarity and War Victims (FN); and Reconstruction and Reinsertion (the tiny, opposition MFA party's sole ministry) being abolished. The Ministry of African Integration was folded into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Urban Sanitation was placed under the Ministry of Environment and Water and Forestry. Comment ¶7. (C) Despite Gbagbo's stated desire to form a new government of technocrats with fewer ties to the political parties, his wish appears to be confined to opposition ministries, as those under FPI and FN control remain practically unchanged. The biggest surprise was the sacking of two heavyweight FPI loyalists: Emmanuel Monnet, former Minister of Mines and Energy, who was blamed for the electricity crisis and the debacle surrounding the closing of the state owned oil refinery; and Hubert Oulaye, former Minister of Employment and Civil Service, who had been touched by a scandal involving kickbacks for admission into a prestigious professional school. ¶8. (C) Comment (Cont'd) The announcement of the new government had been delayed several times, and by issuing a decree before negotiations with the opposition had been finalized, the Presidential camp appears to have been trying to maintain forward momentum. However, as the opposition has repeatedly made clear, they are more concerned with the composition of the CEI and a clear election timetable than with the makeup of what, under ideal circumstances, would be a short-lived, caretaker government. The PM's citing of late April-early May as the target date will be encouraging to the opposition but should be seen as nothing more than an effort to project a positive approach to the issue, given that the CEI -- which retains responsibility for setting the date -- is not yet back at work. NESBITT