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Ivory Coast Opposition Rallying for Fair Elections
Real estate news By Phillip Wellman
05 October 2007
Opposition leaders in divided Ivory Coast have recently been holding public rallies denouncing the government and telling their supporters to change the country through voting. Most analysts agree that the demonstrations are a democratic step towards presidential elections, but warn that if the government does not fulfill its promise of hastening the election process, the peaceful demonstrations could turn violent. Phillip Wellman reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.
Both former president Henri Konan Bedie and former prime minister Alassane Ouattara spoke at recent rallies, confirming they would be running in Ivory Coast 's next presidential election and urging their supporters to register to vote. The election was supposed to be held in 2005, but has been postponed twice through U.N. resolutions as the county remains split in two. An independent electoral commission in Ivory Coast has said the next election is likely to take place in late 2008.
Bedie and Ouattara both say President Laurent Gbagbo has been oppressing the nation and that elections should take place as soon as possible. Bedie says the current administration is worse than colonialism. President Gbagbo says he is trying to reverse decades of outside meddling, especially by former colonial power, France. Despite past tensions, the recent rallies were conducted peacefully. African analyst for the London-based risk consultancy group Global Insight, Kissy Agyeman, says this proves Ivorians are tired of conflict.
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