Africa
Defying international pressure, incumbent takes office in Ivory Coast
December 4, 2010 · 5 Comments
Abidjan, Ivory Coast (CNN) — Laurent Gbagbo was sworn in Saturday for another term as president of the Ivory Coast, despite international concerns about whether he rightfully won a recent runoff election.
Gbagbo takes office amid tensions that escalated Friday, as the west African country’s Constitutional Council invalidated earlier results from the Independent Electoral Commission that named opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara the winner.
With his credibility in question, Gbagbo appeared at Saturday’s ceremony in the capital, Abidjan, to a room full of supporters. In taking office, he defied calls from international leaders to respect the will of the Ivorian voters.
The Constitutional Council said Friday that Gbagbo had won the election with 54.1 % of the vote to Ouattara’s 45.9 %. It tossed out votes it said were marred by fraud in northern regions that were considered Ouattara strongholds.
The day before, the electoral panel had named Ouattara the winner with 54.1% of the votes.
It was the job of Y.J. Choi, the special envoy in the Ivory Coast of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to review and sign off on the results. Choi said that, even if Gbagbo’s complaints were taken into consideration, Ouattara was the winner.
“Having evaluated all the tally sheets, 20,000 of them yesterday evening, we are in a position to know what happened really,” Choi told CNN in a telephone interview from Abidjan. “With absolute certainty, we know that Ouattara won the election.”
U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy congratulated Ouattara.
Sarkozy urged the military and civilian officials to respect the will of the people. Obama warned Gbagbo: “The international community will hold those who act to thwart the democratic process and the will of the electorate accountable for their actions.”
Ouattara, a former economist for the International Monetary Fund who served as prime minister, had been banned from previous races.
Gbagbo’s critics said the incumbent stoked tensions by accusing Ouattara of masterminding the 2002 civil war. Ouattara has denied the allegation.
Once a prosperous nation and a driving force in West Africa, the Ivory Coast plunged into instability after fighting erupted between the government-held south and discontented Muslim rebels living in the north.
Thousands of people died in the conflict. Now, Gbagbo’s return to power in a disputed election could lead to more bloodshed as violent clashes have erupted on the streets of Abidjan.
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By Mo Guled
Tags: Gbagbo, Ivory coast, President Ouattara's
Readers Comments (5)
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I have been following this election and I'm not surprised that Gbagbo supporters at the Constitutional Council have overturned the election results.
This is a dangerous situation for Africa and the Ivory Coast. Gbagbo is following in the foot-steps of Kibaki of Kenya and Mugabe of Zimbabwe by overturning elections they have lost.
The good news is that at least in Guinea, Alpha Conde has won the election and has been sworn in as president of Guinea despite all the troubles leading up to the elections. For this congratulations must go to general Konate who took over the military junta when that fool Captain Camara was shot in the head by his aide after the stadium incident were many were killed and many Muslim women were raped.
The above just shows what an achievement it was for Somaliland to have such a peaceful election which enend with a transfer in power. Something many African countries can learn from.
Let those who turn their back to the Best Kept Secret understand, why we are proud to call ourselves the new dawn of Africa and the middle east. What we [Somalilanders] did is something unique in Africa, and the International Community has to realize that it's about time that they turn the page for the benefit of our grassroot realization of the culturally derived democracy.
We salute those who held high the democratic value in the real sense, and wait to response to our achievement.
That is absolutely the African mentality of thinking like cows. In fact, cows are very smart and loyal animals that relly on the leadership of a particular cow. The leading cow is often the fastest and bravest cow among the cow population. therefore, it is only cow that remains vigiglant of predators while the rest of the cow populations flocks and grasses after it, observing its instant reactions, behavior, and actions. Unfortunately, the cow can develop psychic or sustain brain damage and act out.! This means if this mad cow was leading bunch of dessicated mad cows, and sees foggy precipations in late afternnoon, it'll head to far mountians chasing what it assumes it rainfall. Thus, it eventally gets exhausted, tired, dessicated, and hyena enjoys its flash
And for that matter, cow becomes the victim of its defiant and maddness behavor. Therefore African leaders operate and perform business like mad cow behavors whereas the african population resemble the bunch of foolish cows flocking and depending on mad cow that can't distinquish foggy precipation thick clouds creates from real rainfull. It is sad and true example but I hope he will pay heavy price of his wrongful actions.
The AU stories are all sad business. Am not good with how cows behave but to address this Abidjan Ivory Coast problems needs the same way the Kenyan problems were addressed between Kibaki and Odinga. Remember ex UN Secretary Kofi annan's envoy mission arranged by the interested stakeholder players. In the aftermath Kenya created the new PM post and amended the post colonial Era Constitution into a modern one serving all the Kenyan Diverse Tribes ETC. Not only in Kenya but Abidjan Ivory Coast also and all other AU countries facing same sympathies should be handled like the
Kenya Presidential election dispute. The AU of the C21st Milieu. can not afford the Cow Mentalities
..Laughs and certainly Brutal Military dictatorships and so on and so forth.
Cheers.