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Cote D’Ivoire battles ‘two governments’ scenario
By John Eche
After a bruising electoral run characterised by boycotts and violence, Cote D’Ivoire now battles a two governments scenario.
The West African nation is currently managing the fall-outs of the contentious poll conducted on Saturday and which ended with the electoral commission declaring that incumbent President Alasane Ouattara had won the contest, securing 94.27 percent of the votes cast.
For the opposition that had boycotted the contest and called for a regime of civil disobedience, this outcome is unacceptable and they have gone ahead to announce the formation of a parallel transitional government to be led by one of their leaders, former President, Henri Konan Bedie.
The testy situation is also not been helped by the fact that though international observers have jointly urged all parties to embrace dialogue and peace, there is no agreement on whether the polls and polls process was indeed fair and adequate. While the conservative African Union sees the process as generally satisfactory, the Carter Center notes that there were indeed questions about the process overall.
It is also to be recalled that the regional grouping, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS had attempted to mediate in the process in the final days before the testy contest but its forays may have come as ‘too little, too late.’
The UN refugees agency has confirmed rising numbers of residents fleeing the capital and other parts of the country and headed for nations like Ghana and Nigeria.
Unconfirmed sources say the Ouattara government may presently be preparing to press treason charges against Bedie and other opposition leaders.
Henri Konan Bedie
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