A tale of two presidents

Pretoria - The international community needs to use greater pressure on Cote d' Ivorie's presidential candidates to put the interest of the nation and masses above personal ambitions, in order to resolve the election dispute.

A governance specialist with the Institute for Democracy in Africa (Idasa), Stefan Gilbert, says stronger combined pressure from African leaders and the international community might lead to one of the two candidates making an important concession, which is visibly the only peaceful way out of the impasse.

The November 28 Presidential run-off election was meant to restore stability in what was once one of the most affluent countries in Africa.

Instead, the election has left many in doubt as the country now faces two political rivals who each claim to be leading the country, further inflaming the political chaos in the West African nation whose once-prosperous economy was destroyed by the brief 2002-2003 civil war.

Earlier, the electoral commission (CEI) had announced that provisional results showed opposition leader Alassane Ouattara had beaten Laurent Gbagbo in the disputed polls by 54.1 percent to 45.9 percent.

But the leaders have refused to step down, and both men have been sworn in and named president, leaving the country with two rival governments.

Gilbert says that having gone through the war, Ivorians still have a tough task to decide on a feasible way-forward.

He warned against promoting a unity government solution, in post elections scenarios, saying it would not be positive conclusion in this debacle.

"Power sharing in post elections scenarios undermines entirely the concept of democracy and elections," he said, adding that the African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) have done an exceptional job in not accepting power sharing as an option.

"We've seen that these governments of national unity don't really work," he said, citing the examples of Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Fears are high that rebel forces in the north, which support Ouattara, will take up arms if the talks fail.

Pockets of protests broke out over the weekend in several towns, including Abidjan, and in Bouake in the north. At least 17 people are reported to have been killed.

Media reports from that country also indicate that the country is also seeing shortages of basic goods and rapidly increasing prices for other items, while foreign television and radio signals into the country have been jammed.

The South African government has expressed concern about the events in that country and indicated that it will work with the AU and Ecowas to ensure the situation does not lead to more violence.

"The South African government calls for restraint and further urges the Ivorian leaders to promote national reconciliation and unity as the uppermost priority during this period in Cote d'Ivoire," the International Relations and Co-operation Department said in a statement.

The AU and Ecowas leaders have started sending delegations to negotiate with both Gbagbo and Ouattara and the Constitutional Council. They both condemned the situation and suspended the country from their activities.

Their efforts were joined by the European Union - which warned that the Ivory Coast could face sanctions if the dispute is not resolved swiftly, and France has urged military and civilian authorities in its former colony to respect the will of the people.

The AU warned the situation could erupt into "a crisis of incalculable consequences," and called on Gbagbo to recognise the findings of the CEI.

The AU "strongly urges Mr. Laurent Gbagbo to respect the results of the election and to facilitate, without delay, the transfer of power" to Ouattara, according to a statement after a meeting of the body's Peace and Security Council on Thursday.

The 53 member AU even appointed former South African president Thabo Mbeki, to help mediate the situation.

Although Mbeki held emergency talks with the two on Sunday; Ouattara upped the ante, while Gbagbo defied calls to cede power.

Mbeki's spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga told BuaNews on Friday that the former president has already handed a preliminary report to AU chairperson Jean Ping.

Ratshitanga said they will then wait for a directive form the AU on what steps to take.

Gilbert commended the AU and Ecowas efforts, saying it shows a positive thread that they do not accept, under any condition, unconstitutional changes of power.

However, the strongest player in resolving the impasse, according to Gilbert is Ecowas because it's a regional bloc and is generally "stronger" than the AU.

Whatever options the West African leaders or the AU chooses, Gilbert warns that they must act fast and decisively to prevent Cote d'Ivoire from sliding back into anarchy. - BuaNews