No decision on I Coast PM

2005-11-17 22:07

Abidjan - Nigerian Foreign Minister Olyuemi Adeniji warned on Wednesday that negotiations over the choice of an acting prime minister for Ivory Coast were only in their early stages.

His remarks took observers in the west African state aback as there had been speculation that talks over not only the prime minister but also senior ministers were well advanced.

"It is today that we have begun to negotiate with all the parties," Adeniji told reporters.

"We received all the suggestions and all the comments of all the parties on Saturday."

The parties to the political crisis in the Ivory Coast were reported on Monday to have been unable to agree on a name to submit to international mediators for approval as a consensus prime minister tasked with organising national elections.

The actors in the dispute had been asked to choose someone acceptable to all groups to lead the Ivorian government and pass the chosen name to Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo and his South African and Nigerien counterparts Thabo Mbeki and Mamadou Tandja for their accord.

Obasanjo, current chairperson of the African Union, met the various parties in Abidjan on November 4 and said he hoped to reach a deal by November 15, two weeks after the date of October 30 initially planned, on the appointment of an acting prime minister.

Under a UN resolution, the Ivory Coast is to be given a consensus prime minister "with full powers" to run the government and organise a presidential election by October 31, 2006.

Process appears to be deadlocked

The election was supposed to have been held by the end of last month, but was abandoned after it proved impossible to organise polling with half of the country controlled by rebel troops and President Laurent Gbagbo determined to cling on to power.

Gbagbo is now expected to remain in office until another vote can be organised, but his supporters, the rebels and the mainstream opposition have so far been unable to agree on a prime minister and the peace process appears once more to be deadlocked.

According to UN resolution 1633 the prime minister should have been named by October 31, but that date was moved to November 15 and that deadline has now passed.

"We are in the framework of the process of consultation for the appointment of a prime minister," Adeniji said.

"There have been several proposals made by all the political parties. We shall know the name of the prime minister when everyone is agreed.

"We have to move things along by finding a prime minister quickly. It is very important to move the process on."

Although Adeniji's remarks raised the prospect of the process becoming bogged down opposition groups appeared unworried.

"The agreed process is taking place," said Alphonse Djedje Mady, spokesperson for a group made up of the political opposition and rebels.

"There were 16 names. He (Obasanjo) was due to make a preliminary choice. This is the point we are at."

Adeniji was due to go to the rebel stronghold of Bouake in the centre of the country on Thursday to meet FN leaders.

- AFP