Ivorian parliamentary election, 2008

A parliamentary election is planned to be held in Côte d'Ivoire, with the election date still unannounced. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=44791 "Côte d'Ivoire: le premier tour de la présidentielle fixé au 30 novembre"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 14, 2008 fr icon.] This follows a peace agreement between the government and the New Forces (former rebels) that was signed in March 2007. [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6211745.html "Ivorian president vows to hold elections as scheduled"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), July 10, 2007.]

Following the agreement, the election was planned to be held in the first quarter of 2008. On August 6 2007, President Laurent Gbagbo said it would be possible, with goodwill and determination, to hold the election as early as December 2007. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/06/africa/AF-POL-Ivory-Coast-Elections.php "Ivory Coast to hold elections by end of 2007, president says"] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), August 6, 2007.] [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73629 "COTE D'IVOIRE: Observers, opposition wary of Gbagbo’s rush to elections"] , IRIN, August 7, 2007.] This was greeted with widespread skepticism by observers and the opposition, who said that the preparations for elections would be incomplete at such an early stage. It was announced on September 12 2007 that the process of voter identification and registration would begin on September 25, [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=nw20070913232332422C342889 "Abidjan polls likely in 2008 - electoral body"] , AFP ("IOL"), September 14, 2007.] and if it went well it was expected to be completed by the end of 2007. [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6262785.html "Cote d'Ivoire likely to hold elections in October 2008"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), September 14, 2007.] On September 13, the President of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), Robert Mambe, said that the presidential election should be held, "at the latest", ten months after the end of the identification process, around October 2008, and that the parliamentary election should be held 45 days after the presidential election. On September 18, Gbagbo again expressed his desire to see the elections held quickly and said that he was opposed to the "remote dates" being suggested. [ [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=42227 "Ivorian leader calls for early elections"] , African Press Agency, September 19, 2007.]

The public hearings of the identification process are intended for about three million people born in Côte d'Ivoire who do not yet have identification papers. The hearings were launched on September 25 and were to be held first in Ouragahio and Ferkessédougou, respectively the home regions of Gbagbo and Prime Minister Guillaume Soro. [ [http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/daily-news/public-hearings-begin-in-cote-d'ivoire-200709259329/ "Public hearings begin in Côte d'Ivoire"] , Panapress (afriquenligne.fr), September 25, 2007.] The French company Sagem was designated as the technical operator of the electoral register in November 2007. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=43539 "Côte d'Ivoire: une présidentielle en juin de plus en plus improbable"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), March 23, 2008 fr icon.]

On November 27 2007, Gbagbo and Soro reached an agreement in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, that the election would be held by the end of June 2008; the electoral commission was to propose the specific date of the election. [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3045&art_id=nw20071127224721930C674779 "Ivorian leaders pledge polls in 2008"] , AFP ("IOL"), November 27, 2007.] Gbagbo reiterated on December 19 that the election would be held no later than the end of June 2008, and he said that he would visit all the regions held by the New Forces by March 2008 and would then make a report to the Constitutional Council, which would in turn approve the holding of the election. [http://www.afriquenligne.fr/actualites/politique/la-presidentielle-ivoirienne-aura-lieu-en-juin-2008-2007122013745/ "La présidentielle ivoirienne aura lieu en juin 2008"] , Panapress (afriquenligne.fr), December 20, 2007 fr icon.]

French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner said on January 27 2008 that the election might be delayed slightly past the end of June deadline due to technical requirements, particularly the need to update voter lists. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/cote_ivoire/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP15018kouchuepnue0 "Kouchner : la présidentielle en Côte d'Ivoire "peut-être retardée" un peu"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), January 27, 2008 fr icon.]

While Ouattara and Bédié have said that full implementation of the peace agreement, including total disarmament of the New Forces, is not necessary prior to the holding of the election, Pascal Affi N'Guessan, the President of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Gbagbo's party, has said that disarmament must be completed before the election. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=43000 "Côte d'Ivoire: bilan "mitigé" de l'accord de Ouagadougou, selon le parti de Gbagbo"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), 25 February 2008.]

By March 2008, the common view among observers was that it would be impossible to hold the election as early as June. Although no leading political figures had yet expressed that view, in March Gbagbo referred to the importance of considering actual conditions and said that it would not mean "death" if the election was not held in June.

On April 14, Government Spokesman Amadou Koné announced that the presidential election would be held on November 30 2008, thus delaying it by five months. According to Koné, the date was chosen by the CEI, which had presented a report to the government. Koné said that the parliamentary election would be held on a different date. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=44791 "Côte d'Ivoire: le premier tour de la présidentielle fixé au 30 novembre"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 14, 2008 fr icon.] Gbagbo expressed enthusiasm on the occasion, describing it as "a great day for Côte d'Ivoire". According to Soro's spokesman Sindou Méité, a "broad consensus" had been reached by Soro and other leading political figures regarding the date. The PDCI and RDR welcomed the announcement of a date, although they remained cautious; the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire also welcomed it. On the same day, Gbagbo signed a decree outlining the terms of cooperation between the National Institute of Statistics and the French company Sagem, the latter of which is tasked with surveying the population so that voter lists can be updated and new voter cards can be created. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=44833 "La Côte d'Ivoire, sous pression, fixe enfin une date pour la présidentielle"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 15, 2008 fr icon.]

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