Brussels, 25/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The French Council Presidency made the following declaration, on behalf of the EU, on events in Côte d'Ivoire:
"1. Although the first round of the presidential elections took place in an atmosphere of calm and the National Electoral Commission had started publishing the first results of the election, the Côte d'Ivoire Minister for the Interior dissolved this Commission in order to declare General Gueï's victory.. 2. The European Union condemns such unacceptable methods which remove all credibility from the process of the restoration of constitutional rule. 3. The EU deeply regrets the dissolution of the National Electoral Commission and considers it essential that it should resume its work without interference of any kind and be given the opportunity to declare the official results of the election as soon as possible 4. The European Union calls for the choice expressed by voters to be respected. It reserves the right to take the measures made necessary in the context of its relations with the Côte d'Ivoire.
Latest developments augur well for return to democracy
Just a few hours after this formal condemnation by the Union of the refusal by General Robert Gueï to bow before the result of the ballot, the situation has changed. The people of Côte d'Ivoire, who went into the streets in thousands, had managed to chase the self-proclaimed president from power, himself the author of a military coup d'état in December 1999. At the end of the afternoon, on Wednesday, General Gueï was forced to quit and left the country to seek refuge in Benin. Socialist Laurent Gbagbou, the winner of the presidential election, called for reconciliation among all people of Côte d'Ivoire and announced his intention to rapidly form a working government.
The fall of the military junta in power and the forthcoming establishment of a democratically elected regime, if confirmed, would distance the threat of suspension of EU development cooperation with the Côte d'Ivoire, that European Development Commissioner Poul Nielson had simply evoked in his speech on Wednesday before the European Parliament in the context of his address on cooperation with ACP countries involved in armed conflicts.
The new turn taken by events should also satisfy French authorities which, after having shown proof of reserve towards the military junta, had strongly condemned the attempt by General Gueï to hold power by force, one hour before having to flee the country.
Stressing that twelve Sub-Saharan countries are currently in this case, "which undermines the efforts deployed during decades to promote human and economic development", the Commissioner declared: "We cannot turn our back on these difficult issues. The Commission is studying the response that it will give, and above all whether it is appropriate to resort to Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement", while expressing the regret that the Member States have not taken up the Commission's Communication more actively (ED.: Communication of May 1999 on EU cooperation with these countries in conflict). EUROPE will come back to this in detail in tomorrow's edition.