The current government of Côte d’Ivoire should remain in place until elections are held, even if this does not happen by October 31 as planned, mediator South Africa said on Thursday.
It is ”quite possible” to postpone the poll given tight timelines, Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota told reporters in Pretoria. ”But frankly, there is no reason now why there can’t be attainment of elections before the end of the year.”
Côte d’Ivoire’s current Constitution, on which all peace agreements are based, does not provide for the creation of an interim transitional government in the event of elections being postponed, Lekota said.
”From our reading, the government in place will stay in place. You can only introduce chaos and a huge disruption of society if you remove the present arrangement that is there.”
If the October deadline cannot be met, the country should be given ”a little bit more time”, Lekota said.
Former Côte d’Ivoire rebel leader Guillaume Soro last week called for President Laurent Gbagbo to step down at the end of next month and for a transitional government to be set up until elections can be held.
But Lekota said such a move ”will take Côte d’Ivoire into a dark period in which there is no clarity”.
SA to continue its work
Regarding the rejection of South Africa’s mediation by Soro’s New Forces (FN), Lekota said the country will continue its work until its mandate is withdrawn by the African Union.
The FN did not provide reasons for its complaints, and never called any meetings to raise them, Lekota said. All the agreements the group signed confirmed its confidence in the mediation.
”I can assure you, we have no interest whatsoever in Côte d’Ivoire save that Côte d’Ivoire must resolve its own problems,” the minister said.
The FN has reportedly accused President Thabo Mbeki of being motivated by economic expansionism — giving biased rulings and selling arms to Gbagbo’s government.
Lekota sought to clarify South Africa’s continuing, albeit ”very limited”, role leading up to elections and the creation of a unity government in Côte d’Ivoire.
The AU and the United Nations are responsible for overseeing the implementation of agreements reached, he said. The mediator’s role is limited to ensuring the faithful interpretation by all parties of determinations made in negotiations.
”We [South Africa] will remain seized with support work and implementation,” Lekota said.
He stressed it is not the mediator’s role to decide on sanctions against parties not fulfilling their obligations. That is up to the UN Security Council.
But being ”diverted” by sanctions could distort the broader plan, he added.
”If one can ignore sanctions and get Ivorians to go to elections and produce an elected government, please go that route.”
Côte d’Ivoire has been divided between a rebel-held north and government-led south since a failed coup against Gbagbo in 2002.
Gbagbo made ‘astounding concessions’
Lekota said South Africa’s mediation has been ”extremely successful” and that it enjoys the trust of all parties.
He praised Gbagbo for a willingness to make concessions, despite initial doubts about his commitment to peace.
”We must express our gratitude that he came on board in the manner he did. In the interests of his country, he made concessions that are astounding.”
But Lekota had harsh words for those who will seek to destabilise elections because they face having to account for their actions at the time of the rebellion. He did not name them.
Such actions included having commandeered the property of citizens.
”Once there is an accountable government, it will be inundated with requests from people saying, ‘So and so took my house, so and so took my hotel.’ Then, of course, the chickens will come home to roost. They will have to account.”
Such people will not be comfortable with a return to normalcy in Côte d’Ivoire, Lekota said.
”Everybody knows that once settlement is reached and order restored, they must account, and that is not a pleasant process.” — Sapa