December 2000

Ivory Coast crisis

by Ba Karang

The October elections in the Ivory Coast spelled out a crucial moment in the political life of the country. The Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), which ruled the country for decades under the authoritarian and corrupt leadership of Felix Houphet-Boigny's one-party dictatorship, was forced to hold elections by the pro-democracy movement. One of the leaders of the radical pro-democracy movement has now been declared the winner.

The defeat of General Guei by radical leader Laurent Gbagbo came as a surprise to many and to the general himself. So Guei declared himself the winner and fired the leader of the election commission. The masses were certain that the general was out to rob them of their victory, and they took to the streets. Last month the general fled and Gbagbo was declared the winner.

This victory sent the supporters of Alassane Ouattara into the streets demanding new elections on the grounds that their candidate was excluded from taking part in them on false grounds.

In December 1999 the PDCI was forced from power by a military coup under the leadership of Guei. He then formed a national unity government, but excluded the main opposition party (the RDR) led by Ouattara, a former Prime Minister in dictator Boigny's government. Ouattara had left the PDCI to join the IMF as a deputy managing director.

Ater the coup Guei's government passed laws which disqualified Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie (a former head of parliament) from running for president on the grounds of doubts about their citizenship. Guei was looking for an easy path to victory by excluding potential rivals and playing on nationalistic sentiments. The RDR and PDCI urged their members to boycott the elections.

Gbagbo and Ouattara are old rivals, going back to the time when Ouattara was Prime Minister under Boigny. During this time Gbagbo was sentenced to prison for leading the pro-democracy movement.

The Western powers and international finance capital tried to freeze out Ivory Coast and called for new elections. It was clear to them that their interests could best be served by Ouattara, and not Gbagbo-who is known to have spoken loud and long against the marginalization of his people and the continent in general by international capital and neo-colonial African leaders.

When Ouattara discovered that he could not win by pressing for new elections with the help of the West, he went to the negotiating table. He declared, however, that his party will not take part in the national reconciliation government.

The electoral committee declared in November that Ouattara is eligible to contest the national assembly elections in December, but there is a case in court contesting this. It is very likely that Gbagbo will use every possible means to contest any decision from the court that does not rule in favor of allowing Ouattara to contend in the general elections, even though they are still bitter rivals.