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U.S. Embassy

This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

The political standoff in Cote d'Ivoire was again in the limelight of today's national press. The two parallel governments are, on each side, trying to control the country while the international community maintains the pressure for respect of the results of the poll.

1. The dualism of the executive power in Cote d'Ivoire is underscored by two governments -one led by Prime Minister Soro Guillaume and another one headed by Prime Minister N'Gbo. In this context, both camps are in a race to control the country's finance and administration. According to Nord-Sud Quotidien (a daily close to the Ivorian Prime Minister), President Ouattara has taken new measures in this respect. The paper reported Mr. Achi Patrick, the spokesperson of the government, as warning contractors on potential unauthorized commitments they may be making with the "illegitimate" government of President Gbagbo. "Any commitment of this kind is void and will not be acknowledged by the government," Mr. Achi reportedly said.

Similarly, Le Patriote called on all civil servants and military personnel not to collaborate with any other government but the legitimate one headed by Prime Minister Soro Guillaume.

With more on the activities of President Ouattara, Le Mandat (a daily close to the PDCI-RDA party) noted that the UN Special Envoy in Cote d'Ivoire, Mr. Y. J. Choi, had talks yesterday with the Ivorian head of state. According to the daily, the post-electoral situation was the topic of their discussion.

On his part, Laurent Gbagbo called on the Ivorian people to be serene, as war is in no way an option for the settlement of the crisis. The information was reported by Le Temps (a daily close to the FPI party), which noted that he received yesterday a delegation of Tchaman people in Abidjan.

Reporting on the same ceremony, Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) added that Mr. Gbagbo is open to dialogue and negotiations. "Let us sit down and discuss," the paper reported Mr. Gbagbo as saying.

2. According to Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily), the international community, including the United Nations and the United States, are closely monitoring the situation in Cote d'Ivoire. In a statement made Wednesday, the UN Security Council called on the different political stakeholders to respect the will of the Ivorian people and condemn any effort to go against the will of the people who participated in these elections. It stands ready to impose targeted measures against anyone who tries to impede the peace process, obstruct the work of UNOCI, or commit violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

Still on international pressure, Le Patriote (a daily close to the RDR Party) informed readers that the Ivorian leader could face targeted sanctions from the United States in case he refuses to back down and abide by the will of the will of the Ivorian people. According to the paper, Mr. Phillip J. Crowley, spokesman for the US Department of State, said that the position of the United States is similar to that of the 11 heads of state or presidential representatives who participated in the ECOWAS summit and called on Mr. Gbagbo to abide by the election results and allow President Ouattara to take his rightful seat as the head of government.

L'Expression (a daily close to the RDR Party) carried a similar article, adding that the United States could be forced to freeze the personal assets of the Ivorian leader and his partisans if he remains adamant on his position to retain power.