- Advertisement -
Standoff continues in Côte d’Ivoire. The homes of key opponents condemning the re-election of Alassane Ouattara are still surrounded by police since the opposition announced it intends to set up a National Transitional Council. The RHDP, the ruling party, claims that the opposition has committed an “act of rebellion” that undermines the security of the state.
With our special correspondent in Abidjan, Laurent Correau,and our correspondent in Abidjan, Pierre Pinto
The ruling party, the RHDP, refuses to talk about house arrest. A good source within the party told us that the opposition leaders were actually detained in their homes in a preventative manner and that they were awaiting a judicial investigation.
Adama Bictogo, CEO of the RHDP, for his part, believes that the opposition has gone too far: “Even while the elections are being organized, the president remains. So he’s in exercise. The institutions work. The state is not bankrupt. How can we accept that the opposition can create a parallel government? It is an attack on state security. To me, it is rebellious, unconstitutional and it is unacceptable. ”
We are not bankrupt, Adama Bictogo repeated in the interview he gave to RFI. The announced creation of a transitional government is for him a serious act. Legal proceedings are underway for conduct.
While the opposition appears to be partially paralyzed by this placement under house arrest by several of its senior officials, including Henri Konan Bédié, who was appointed president of the “National Transitional Council” on Monday, Guillaume Soro will show he is taking over. “Me, vula tracking against the main leaders of the National Transitional Council, I decide with full responsibility to participate in the continuity of the work begun by contributing to the effective establishment of the Transitional Bodies.”
On Tuesday, many expected the opposition to announce a transitional government in Henri Konan Bédié’s residence as police forces surrounded it. That same morning, Justice Minister Sansan Kambile warned that the government would not allow what it considers “an act of upliftment” and a “conspiracy against state authority”.
In addition, Laurent Gbagbo on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko and called on him to “calm the situation by promoting dialogue rather than repression”.
An illegal “blockade” for the opposition
For their part, opposition lawyers condemn the illegality of the encirclement of the homes of the four leaders. In a statement, the group of opposition lawyers explained that 11 opposition leaders were arrested on Tuesday at the residence of Henri Konan Bédié. As well as two lawyers who were released after the intervention of the lawyer president and other personalities.
Opposition lawyers state that Henri Konan Bédié, in his capacity as former president, can only be deprived of his liberty by a special procedure. They recall that Maurice Kakou Guikahué, the executive secretary of the PDCI who was arrested, enjoys parliamentary immunity.
They also state that what they call the “blockade” imposed on opponents’ homes does not fit into any regulatory framework applicable in Côte d’Ivoire, so “it must be qualified as sequestration”. Opposition lawyers are urging the Public Prosecutor and the Public Prosecutor to immediately put an end to “these illegal acts by political officers under their authority”.
The adviser from Bédié and the leaders of the opposition are asking the public prosecutor “to put an end to these illegal acts.” The RHDP is told that these preventive measures will be repealed when the opposition returns to constitutional order.
“The rule of law must take precedence”
For its part, the international community continues to call for peace and respect for the rule of law in Côte d’Ivoire. This Wednesday, France and the United States condemned the violence and tensions surrounding the presidential election.
“France calls on all actors to put an end to the provocations and threats that have accompanied the elections. The rule of law must take precedence, “said Foreign Ministry spokesman Agnès Von der Mühl during a press conference in Paris.
It thus challenges both the opposition and the Ivorian authorities. France, like the European Union, notes “the strong differences in turnout by region” and merely notes the preliminary results of the elections. France finally stresses “the urgency of resuming political dialogue in order to be able to turn the page on violence and division”.
The United States “urges political leaders to show their commitment to the democratic process and the rule of law.” In a statement, the US Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire called on the authorities to investigate all incidents in order to hold those responsible accountable: “Complaints must be resolved peacefully and transparently within the legal framework.”
.
