Ivory Coast Election: The Other Side

Upon the pronouncement of the presidential election results in Cote d’Ivoire by the Electoral Commission (CEI) which should have been subject to confirmation by the Constitutional Court taking into account the different complaints to be filed by the two candidates, the UN Representative in the country strangely certified those results without any consideration for eventual complaints that should have been made by either candidate as it was done in Guinea-Conakry recently.

What is the process?

The provisional results are given by the Electoral Commission and have to be done within 3 days non-extendable. After that, the candidates have 3 days to file in any complaints that should thoroughly be investigated by the Constitutional Court within 7 days. After this deadline, the court proceeds with the proclamation of the official results which are irrevocable after that time period. Due to the exceptional case in Cote d’Ivoire presently, the UN Representative, Mr. Young Choi then comes in to certify just for transparency and credibility. Remember this provision is not contained within the Ivorian constitution but with the resolutions on Cote d’Ivoire.

This procedure was respected during the first round of the election and everyone was proud and happy to see democracy triumph in Africa. Unfortunately for the second round, the rules of the game seemed to have changed abruptly and curiously too.

The Electoral Commission was not able to give the results within the 3-day period. Everyone was concerned and started wondering what was going on. Normally, the first results, especially those from Abidjan, should have been in at least by midnight after polling stations have closed. Due to the awfully unprecedented and suspicious delay, the Pope’s representative and the ambassador of Japan near Abidjan as well as some other dignitaries and religious leaders went to see Youssouf Bakayoko (President of the Commission) to ask why there has been that delay, he assured them that they were working and that the first results will be ready soon. This interview was live on state and international media. This was the second day after polling stations have closed.

That night, we saw on state and international media that the spokesman was trying to read some provisional results which according to Gbagbo’s representatives were not consolidated.

What does the world consolidation means in this case? For a given result to be consolidated, it has to meet the approval of the Central Commission, a technical body that compares the electronic and manual results, examines the polling papers to make sure that the signatures they bear correspond to those of the candidates’ representatives in each polling station, that the number of voters is equal to the number of registered voters, that the polling went out without major incidents like depriving people of voting, violence perpetrated, etc (that the process was in line with democratic principles).

According to Gbagbo’s representatives, the provisional results that were about to be announced, like the previous ones announced from the Diaspora, did not meet the consensus of the Central Commission and the spokesman took a unilateral decision at first and that he should not continue likewise lest it may create chaos in case they have to come back to review them. They did not reach compromise on that point and had to show some ugly image to the world at large, which made people (anti-Gbagbo) to conclude that the president has hi-jacked the process. The Commissioner had to come on TV to clarify the situation. There was no retaliation or opposition to his explanation.

On the third day, the deadline, and at 23h00, the state media asked for and obtained a press briefing with the Commission’s president Youssouf Bakayoko. He assured that they were working and that they will be ready soon. He was questioned on the possibility knowing that he had only 40 minutes left, he however assured the world.

The fourth day, all eyes were turned to the Constitutional Court for the results where all the documents had been transferred. Surprisingly, the CEI president was seen on a French media in the Golf Hotel surrounded by two armed men, headquarters of the rebels and RDR, Alassane Oattara’s party announcing the election results. It did not move the Ivorian people as they knew legally, he was debarred.

These results, which did not even reflect the reality from many proofs, were immediately certified by the UN representative in Cote d’Ivoire, recognized by France and the USA with Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama congratulating Mr. Alassane Ouattara.

Curious, curious to see that Barack Obama, a constitutionalist could give such results credence without the pronouncement of the constitutional court. Why? Because we are Africans and so mediocrity is our portion and because they have made the Golf Region unsecured for oil exploration, and because they have discovered that the oil reserve in the Golf of Guinea is two times what the golf region has, and that most of this oil reserve is found on the Ivorian territory.

Curious, curious to see Nicolas Sarkozy, a jurist, openly threatening President Gbagbo that he has 3 days to leave and that the new president is called H.E Mr. Alassane Ouattara. Why? Because Gbagbo does not come to bow down to him or does not give him at the detriment of the Ivorian people what France wants from the country.

Normal, normal to find out that some figure-headed ECOWAS leaders took the same position with powerful nations like France and the USA. Normal, normal to find out that AU leader started blasting President Gbagbo and threatening military intervention, comforting France’s position.

Normal, normal to find out that Alassane Ouattara is in full support of military intervention to destroy the already beleaguered Ivorian economy just to meet his goal and reimburse creditors like France who lent him money to buy arms and train the rebels in Burkina Faso.

If it is true that Alassane won the election, why is he not accepting a recount of the votes and verification of voters’ documents? After Gbagbo made this proposal, people started being concerned. Credible and independent ECOWAS leaders came and saw proofs; they gave up on military actions and called for dialogue. AU, France, the USA, UN, and the European refused.

Then Raila Odinga of Kenya, the most ferocious opposition to Gbagbo upon the proclamation of the official results by the Constitutional Court because of his experience from the past election in his country, came and saw for himself, he gave up on violence and called for a peaceful resolution. Before him, Thabo Mbeki came and made a good report which was discarded because he is considered a friend to Gbagbo. Then came Jean Ping from the AU who had initially made violent comments against Gbagbo. He saw the facts and kept quiet.

France is now saying that their troops will not intervene in the internal affairs of Cote d’Ivoire, but still recognizes Alassane as president, base on what? I don’t know. The USA is still saying Gbagbo should go, why? I don’t know. EU countries and UN have recognized ambassadors accredited by Alassane Ouattara, base on what legal provisions and diplomatic regulations? I don’t know.  Why is the recount being rejected if they are convinced their guy won? They teach us Law, Diplomacy, etc of civilized people, but when it comes to Africans, we are barbaric and so the rules of the jungle should be applied.

Are we still in the Stone Age?

Were we (Blackman) not created in the image and likeness of God? Or do they hide the truth from us? Let’s find out. Could someone tell me? Is the voice of the people in Africa different from the voice of the people in the West? Does democracy in Africa means the will of the super power and those of the Western world the will of the people?

Can someone please reply me?

WE SHALL OVERCOME ONE DAY!

They announced participation rate between 68 to 70 or 71%. The results they give credence to have participation rate of 81%, how come? In Bouake, there are a little over 48,000 voters, but Alassane got more than 159,000 votes from Bouake. How come? New creation? In all the regions in the north occupied by the rebels, the number of voters exceeded the number of registered voters, how can that be? Is it a new mathematical theorem they have invented? They should come and teach us again. How come the total number of registered voters is less than the total number of people who voted? Which postulate is that?

Every candidate has 2 representatives, and so in every polling station, at least a candidate should obtain 2 votes. But in many polling stations in the North, Gbagbo got zero votes, how come? New probability rules invented during the Ivorian election?

On the election day, a lady representing the president was rapped, do you think that person is normal? Or maybe it has been years he had wanted to court that lady without success. Our super powers France and the USA, leaders of the free world, did not even make a comment on those circumstances yet they preach human rights.

International observers made these comments before national and international media, but because most of those who made these observations and reports were blacks, and so their reports are not as credible as those of EU and UN. So then, why were they solicited? What is interesting is that AU and EU observers were among the observers that criticize the voting process in the north, yet when France and the USA took position, they followed suit.

WE SHALL OVERCOME ONE DAY!

May God protect and bless Africa. May Africans come to know that only ourselves can shape our destiny.

Amen!

For proofs of what I have said, go onto www.rti.ci and www.abidjan.net. You will see the proofs of all that I have written if you can read and understand French. Check the archives documents.