Ecowas: Extend Gbagbo's term
2006-10-09 22:29
Abidjan - West African leaders have recommended that Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo's tenure be extended again by a year as the country's political crisis continues, said diplomats and government officials on Monday.
The agreement was reached at a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) at the end of last week on the Ivory Coast crisis.
"Ecowas leaders agreed for an extension of the term of office of President Laurent Gbagbo by 12 months, paving the way for presidential and general elections in Ivory Coast," said the Liberian government on Monday.
At their meeting in Nigeria's capital Abuja, which wrapped up late on Friday, the 11 heads of state did not announce a new date for Ivorian presidential elections, which have already been postponed twice.
Remain in position for a year
In a statement following their summit the leaders expressed their "profound concern with obstructions" to the stuttering Ivorian peace process that again rolled back elections scheduled for end October.
But they did not give precise details of their decisions.
According to several Western European diplomatic sources, Ecowas "recommended the extension" by one year of the current transitional government, with Gbagbo and prime minister Charles Konan Banny remaining in office.
Gillaume Soro, leader of the New Forces rebels who are fiercely opposed to the lengthening of Gbagbo's mandate, also confirmed the decisions.
"We are informed that the head of state is to stay in position for one year period, and that prime minister Banny remains in office," said rebel chief Soro, who is the second in command after Banny in cabinet.
Elections have yet to take place
The leaders' recommendations will be subject to scrutiny at African Union meetings on the Ivory Coast peace process scheduled for mid-October.
Two weeks later, the same dossier faces the UN, which in September postponed Ivorian presidential elections for a second time.
The elections were originally scheduled to take place last October, but UN resolution 1633 extended Gbagbo's tenure for a year while empowering the Ivorian prime minister to oversee a transitional period until presidential and general elections.
But a year later, Gbagbo remains in power, the elections have yet to take place, the country is still divided, and the FN rebels - along with pro-government militia groups - have yet to disarm in line with the UN resolution.
The 15 members of Ecowas are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.