Ivorian Opposition Party Outraged By International Stance

Panafrican News Agency, 22 December 2000

Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire—The Ivorian Workers’ Party, which won four seats in the new National Assembly, Friday expressed indignation against the international community for its misinformation campaign against Cote d’Ivoire.

The party’s first secretary, Francis Wodie, called on the international community to fully play its role and turn away from anything different from its line of action and objectives.

He also referred to the European Union’s decision to suspend its financial co-operation with Cote d’Ivoire, until fresh elections including all the candidates are held.

The Rally of Republicans’ leader, Alassane Dramane Ouattara, was disqualified to run in the presidential and parliamentary elections by the Supreme Court for doubts on his Ivorian nationality.

Democracy will not be sustained by ceasing to provide money to the country. Far from it, Wodie said in a statement, adding that it is in the international community’s interest to assist and support the democratic game that is even more difficult in Cote d’Ivoire, since the authorities are willing to play the game sincerely by respecting the rules.

We would like to draw the attention of non-member states and their leaders to the detrimental effects of such a policy and the outrageously unfair nature of this whole campaign which deviates from the requirements of international co-operation, if understood and practised in a healthy manner, he added.

He called on all the parties to pursue the democratic dialogue, conduct negotiations with the best of intentions and find real determination to achieve solutions that are mutually beneficial to the States and the people.

Let us build democracy together, here and elsewhere, in the interest of all, both within the States and in relations among States so that the international community becomes a real community in the service of all and not of a few, he said.