The Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party of former President Laurent Gbagbo, now in the opposition, denouncing the lack of dialogue with the majority, has suspended its participation in the activities of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) in charge of organizing the legislative by 15 December.
The FPI claims to have asked the government for dialogue on security issues, the composition of the CEI and constituencies, without success. The party argues that the current membership of the CEI does not guarantee the transparency and fairness of the forthcoming elections. A statement signed by Laurent Akoun, interim general secretary of the FPI, denounces a “blatant imbalance” in favor of the ‘Rassemblement pour la Démocratie et des Houphouétistes la Paix’ (RHDP), a coalition close to the president Alassane Dramane Ouattara, which was only too evident after a recent reshuffle within the Commission.
Nearly a year after presidential elections marred by a bitter confrontation between supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara, which left at least 3000 dead, Côte d’Ivoire is preparing to return to the polls to renew the Parliament. Former President Gbagbo, founder of the FPI, is still under house arrest awaiting trial at home for economic crimes; he will likely hve to respond to charges of war crimes or crimes against humanity before an international court.
© 2011 MISNA - Missionary International Service News Agency Srl - The FPI claims to have asked the government for dialogue on security issues, the composition of the CEI and constituencies, without success. The party argues that the current membership of the CEI does not guarantee the transparency and fairness of the forthcoming elections. A statement signed by Laurent Akoun, interim general secretary of the FPI, denounces a “blatant imbalance” in favor of the ‘Rassemblement pour la Démocratie et des Houphouétistes la Paix’ (RHDP), a coalition close to the president Alassane Dramane Ouattara, which was only too evident after a recent reshuffle within the Commission.
Nearly a year after presidential elections marred by a bitter confrontation between supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara, which left at least 3000 dead, Côte d’Ivoire is preparing to return to the polls to renew the Parliament. Former President Gbagbo, founder of the FPI, is still under house arrest awaiting trial at home for economic crimes; he will likely hve to respond to charges of war crimes or crimes against humanity before an international court.
