I Coast: Mbeki to 'mediate'

2005-08-03 12:27

Abidjan - Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbago is to leave it up President Thabo Mbeki to rule on the stalemate created by the failure of loyalists and rebels to get a disarmament programme under way, a presidential aide said on Tuesday.

Loyalist and rebel military commanders failed to agree on Sunday on a cantonment programme in the divided West African state, scheduled to begin on that day and a prelude to oft-delayed disarmament.

"The president has accepted the mediation (of Mbeki) and has committed the Ivorian people to this path," said Bertin Kadet, Gbagbo's defence adviser.

"It is up to President Mbeki to examine the question and to take the necessary decisions."

Finding solutions to tricky problems

The rebel New Forces (FN) are calling for the revision of a number of decrees promulgated by Gbagbo last month as part of the peace deal agreed in June.

They want a ruling from Mbeki on their complaint.

"The people of Ivory Coast like everybody else have seen that the rebels have refused to get the disarmament process under way," Kadet said.

"It is a question that concerns the mediator and the other actors in the crisis.

"There is no problem without a solution: the day will come when these problems will be resolved."

Under a calendar adopted on July 9 by the two sides, July 31 was to mark the start of movement by loyalist and rebel forces to sites that had been chosen for the gathering together of troops.

After talks ended between loyalist chief of staff general Philippe Mangou and rebel commander general Soumaila Bakayoko, participants said agreement had been reached at the technical level on the question of cantonment of forces but there were problems at the political level.

Concern over elections

Opposition parties expressed concern on Tuesday about a possible "constitutional void" if presidential elections are not held as scheduled on October 30.

Electoral rolls have not been published as required by the West African country's constitution three months ahead of the election - on July 31.

A spokesperson for the Rally for the Republicans (RDR), Cisse Bacongo, called for negotiation by all political parties over this breach of the constitution and the "constitutional void" that would be caused by any delay in the election.

Technically, the presidential election should be delayed, according to the leader of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), Alphonse Djedje Mady, but he urged that the election go forward.

"We are in a period of crisis. Our country needs this election."

Advisors to President Laurent Gbagbo have repeatedly said he will remain in power should there be any delay in the election, which is part of the peace process.

- AFP