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afrol.com, 16 September - "The international community could rest assured that, in October of this year, the people of Côte d'Ivoire would participate in fair and free elections," Charles Providence Gomis, the Ivorian Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday assured the UN General Assembly. He reminded the Assembly of 24 December 1999, when Côte d'Ivoire had registered its first experience of institutional change. The day before, soldiers overthrew the existing constitutional order, claiming to be acting for better living conditions. Previously, his country had been considered a haven of peace and played a role as regulator in West Africa. - On 23 July this year, the people of Côte d’Ivoire had a new constitutional and electoral code proposed by the government in transition, Gomis said. The military powers had played no part in those decisions. The new constitution was approved by a massive vote of 86 per cent. That should, in his view, end speculation that proceeded the referendum. Thus international community could rest assured that Côte d'Ivoire was on its way back to democracy and free elections.
Côte d'Ivoire is in transition following a bloodless military coup in December 1999. Retired General Robert Guei took over the Government after a mutiny that began on December 23, evolved into a major military revolt on December 24, and culminated in the dismissal and forced departure of President Henri Konan Bedie. General Guei, who was Chief of Staff under Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny and Bedie, declared himself the new president, suspended the Constitution, dissolved the National Assembly and formed the National Committee for Public Salvation (CNSP), which consists of himself and eight military officers. Guei pledged to rewrite the Constitution, clean up government corruption, and hold fair and transparent elections in October 2000. All of the country's political parties, including the former ruling Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI) pledged to support Guei's transition government. Guei in general has demonstrated "political decency", not abusing his hold on power as a military leader. However, his declaration to participate in the October elections as a presidential candidate has earned him critics. Charles Providence Gomis also said in his statement to the international community that, as Côte d’Ivoire was belonging to a subregion beset by conflict, he was only too well aware of the importance of peace. - The people of my country are not xenophobic, nor a country of exclusion, he said, with reference to the ethnical tensions in Côte d’Ivoire lately. In fact, Côte d’Ivoire remained the only country in the world where foreigners accounted for more than 40 per cent of the population. He was proud of being part of one of the most integrated countries in West Africa. He was counting on the understanding and support of the international community in helping his country through its transition to constitutional normality. During the last years, tensions arose between Ivorian and non-Ivorian ethnic groups. Most immigrants to Côte d’Ivoire are Burkinabe and Malians. Serious assaults against immigrants began in 1998, when Ivorians responded to the murder of fellow citizens, allegedly committed by immigrants. That year, furious Ivorians attacked Burkinabe settlements, burning their homes and chasing more than 12,000 persons to Burkino Faso. The same month, Ivorian Baoule attacked the Malian population in Tiebissou after the death of a Baoule during a land use conflict. After the attack, several hundred persons fled the area. He believed that to resolve conflict, preventive diplomacy must be strengthened. The conflicts that beset the world had meant that peacekeeping operations were in the forefront of United Nations activity, which required considerable effort and means. Peacekeeping operations conducted in Africa, however, had not had the results they had hoped for. He hoped the Brahimi report would be given the attention it deserved. The technological progress that had been achieved had created a digital gap, which had marginalized poor countries. If the advantages of globalization were acknowledged, it was not taking into account the developing countries, especially Africa, whose involvement in international trade was still below two per cent. Poverty is almost the same as it was 20 years ago, Gomis said. Poverty and deprivation were further exacerbated by the debt burden. In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, the Government gave 52 per cent of its budgetary earnings to pay off its debts.
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