Ban says timetable for fair elections urgently needed in Côte d’Ivoire

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a realistic timetable for the holding of credible and transparent elections in the Côte d'Ivoire, as a matter of urgency, in his latest report on divided country.

Mr. Ban said that elections will bring to a successful conclusion the current transitional arrangement in the West African country, which has been divided since 2002 between the Government-held south and a northern area dominated by the rebel Forces Nouvelles.

“Côte d’Ivoire is now at a stage where only two critical processes need to be completed in order to restore normalcy: reunification and elections,” Mr. Ban wrote in the report, which also covers the activities of the UN operation in the West African country known as UNOCI.

He noted that in the two years since the signing of the Ouagadougou Agreement in March 2007, significant progress had been made towards restoring the country to peace and security.

Achievements highlighted in the report included the end of hostilities between the Forces Nouvelles and national troops, the removal of the zone of confidence that had previously physically divided the country, and the restoration of free movement of people and goods throughout the country.

The ongoing process to identify the population and register voters, technical preparations for the elections, the improvement in the human rights throughout the country and a recovering economy were additional signs of return to normalcy noted in the report.

A newly elected Government by the end of the year would have the legitimacy to capitalize on the gains achieved so far in the peace process, stressed Mr. Ban. “I urge the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the technical operators to remain focused on bringing these sensitive operations to a successful close.”

A failure to resolve their current differences and a continuing lack of clarity on a new date for the elections would adversely affect the future of the country and prolong the suffering of the Ivorian people, he said.

The Secretary-General underlined the importance for the IEC to make public, without further delay, a realistic and comprehensive electoral timeline with clear milestones.