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afrol.com, 8 October - The Ivorian Supreme Court on Friday barred the top opposition presidential candidate Alassane Ouattara from standing in October 22 elections. 15 of the 19 presidential candidates were barred, but the president and head of by the military junta, General Robert Guei, was cleared. The presidency has declared a four-day state of emergency. Ivorians reportedly are puzzled by the decision. Guei made an announcement to the nation on national TV asking the Ivorians keep up their "enthusiasm and almost total unanimity" towards the Constitution, which was approved by Ivorians on 24 December 1999. The new Constitution also defines provisions on the eligibility of presidential candidates. It is claimed that the leader of the principal opposition party, the Republican Rally (RDR), Alassane Ouattara, has had Burkinabe citizenship, which renders him ineligible under the Constitution. The Supreme Court, which was to rule on the eligibility of the 19 candidates, based its decision on these accusations, and barred Alassane Ouattara from standing in the elections. Reactions in Côte d'Ivoire were of non-belief in the ruling by the Supreme Court. PANA observed a "stunning silence" in Abidjan. Opposition parties were shocked and angry over the decision, but said they would await reactions from their party leaders before taking action. Oppositional party leaders were to meet to discuss possible action, but so far, leaders like Ouattara have tried to calm down Ivorians, asking them to abstain from violence. There is still a curfew in the country. Against the opposition and international protests against the possible exclusion of Ouattara, Guei several times has called on the international community to stop asking Côte d'Ivoire to bend the law in favour of an individual. Also the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, has tried to mediate in the conflict, suggesting that the presidential poll be postponed. This, however, only provoked protests and demonstrations among General Guei's supporters.
The Supreme Court quoted the "doubtful origin" of Ouattara to deny him his candidature. Opponents of the RDR leader claim that his parents were Burkinabe and that he has had Burkinabe citizenship. Ouattara always has denied these claims. It seems that the Supreme Court found no proof for these claims, but that it bowed to the suspicion that Ouattara had some kind of Burkinabe background, quoting that his origin was "doubtful". Henri Konan Bédié, the former President of Côte d'Ivoire toppled by General Guei, was rejected on the grounds that he did not undergo the compulsory medical examination. Bédié has been in exile in Paris since the coup d'état 24 December 1999 overthrowing him. A state of emergency was imposed already on Friday in expectancy of clashes following the Supreme Court ruling. The state of emergency continues until Monday morning. Hundreds of people without Ivorian identification documents have been arrested in recent days, and a large number of immigrants are trying to leave the country. Both Ouattara and Guei, however, have urged Ivorians to keep calm. Ouattara, while urging his followers to exercise restraint, hinted that violence remained a possibility, according to BBC. "If the country has to burn, it will be General Guei who will be responsible for it, he told Associated Press on Saturday. In Guei's appeal to the Ivorian nation, he urged his compatriots to respect the Court ruling and to abstain from violence. Addressing the press, he urged the media not to provoke violence in Côte d'Ivoire by spreading hatred and "diffusing only right and reliable news". "Know that you with your pen can set ablaze a whole country," he warned journalists. Addressing the latest attacks on immigrants in Côte d'Ivoire, General Guei said "I do not want that the legitimate search of an Ivorian identity leads to the emerging of narrow nationalism, which would make citizens of Côte d'Ivoire hate all that is foreign." He continued, "Côte d'Ivoire is a hospital ground, it can not turn xenophobic. To our concern, foreigners are a gift of God. But you will have to remember that they are not allowed to hold the highest office of the State". Supporters of Guei have on many occasions demonstrated nationalist and xenophobic resentments. Depending on the sources, immigrants constitute between 25 and 40 percent of the population. Competition for land resources and high unemployment have helped fuel nationalist sentiment in Côte d'Ivoire. Burkinabe constitute the largest group of immigrants. The plantation economy of Côte d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on labour from neighbouring countries. According to PANA, the candidates approved is constituted by the president, General Robert Guei (National Committee for Public salvation, CNSP), Laurent Gbagbo, (Ivorian Popular Front, FPI), which is also member of the ruling party, Francis Wodie (Ivorian Workers' Party, PIT), Theodore Mel (Union of Democrats of Côte d'Ivoire, UDCI) and Nicolas Dioulo, an independent candidate. Under the given circumstances, it is assessed that Laurent Gbagbo is the only possible match for president Guei.
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