Ivory Coast News

Ivory Coast Daily News - Current Affairs, Sports, Music, Politics, Business, Finance, in English and French

You are here: Home / Archives for Politics

Politics

President Laurent Gbagbo On A Trip To Europe

Politics

According to the Ivorian News Website IvoireBusiness.net, Laurent Gbagbo was seen at the airport Houphouet-Boigny on Friday, leaving Abidjan for a European destination.

He left Abidjan on the evening of Friday, June 16, 2023, aboard a commercial airplane of an airline operating the Abidjan-Paris route and vice versa. The former Ivorian head of state was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Nady Bamba, and some members of his domestic staff. As usual, Laurent Gbagbo brought joy and shared his good mood with the people present yesterday at the VIP Lounge of Abidjan Airport before leaving Ivorian soil.

This trip comes at a time when the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) has just closed the doors of the electoral dispute. The main points of contention are numerous irregularities found in the provisional voter list. But above all, Laurent Gbagbo’s removal from the voter list. This situation continues to dominate the political news in Côte d’Ivoire.

According to insiders, the leader of the PPA-CI party has important appointments to fulfill in some European capitals. According to our sources, the former head of state will take the opportunity of his presence in Europe to recharge his batteries. This is in preparation for his full participation in the electoral campaign for the Regional and Municipal elections scheduled for September. His party, the PPA-CI, is involved on several fronts. The date of President Laurent Gbagbo’s return to Côte d’Ivoire is currently unknown.

We also recommend: Conviction of Laurent Gbagbo in the case of the looting of the BCEAO

Council of Ministers June 15 2023 Decisions

Politics

On Thursday, June 15, 2023, a Council of Ministers was held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic, Head of State.

The agenda of this meeting included the following points:

A/ General Measures

  • Draft laws
  • Draft ordinance
  • Draft decrees

C/ Communications

D/ Miscellaneous

A/ GENERAL MEASURES

DRAFT LAWS

1- Under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights;

The Council adopted two (02) draft laws:

• The first draft law amends Law No. 61-415 of December 14, 1961, on nationality, as amended by Laws No. 72-852 of December 21, 1972, No. 2004-662 of December 17, 2004, Decisions No. 2005-03/PR of July 15, 2005, No. 2005-009/PR of August 29, 2005, and Law No. 2013-654 of December 13, 2013.

This draft law aims to prevent fraud regarding Ivorian nationality, particularly by addressing marriages of convenience contracted to bypass the ordinary naturalization procedure. Thus, this law prevents the immediate acquisition of Ivorian nationality for a foreign spouse following the administrative formality of marriage to another spouse of Ivorian nationality.

It requires the acquisition of nationality through a declaration by the foreign spouse before the Minister of Justice, after a probationary period of five (5) years from the date of marriage, to test the stability of the union and the applicant’s interest in Ivorian nationality. Furthermore, nationality is acquired only on the date of acceptance of the declaration of acquisition of Ivorian nationality by the competent authority.

• The second draft law relates to the protection of the emblems of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Crystal.

The designations Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Crystal, as well as the distinctive signals intended to identify medical units and means of transport, which symbolize impartial humanitarian assistance to the wounded and vulnerable people on the battlefield worldwide, have acquired vital protective value in times of armed conflict and peace.

This draft law aims, without prejudice to the international instruments protecting them, to prevent their abusive use in peacetime and armed conflict in our country, in order to safeguard the trust and symbolism they embody. To this end, the draft law determines the conditions and modalities for the use of the emblems and distinctive signals of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Crystal. It specifically identifies the areas or fields of their use and provides an exhaustive list of entities or authorities authorized to use them.

2- Under the Ministry of the Interior and Security;

The Council adopted three (03) draft laws:

• A draft law amending Article 54 of Law No. 2014-452 of August 5, 2014, on the mode of creation, attributions, organization, and functioning of the Autonomous District.

• A draft law amending Article 12 of Law No. 2014-453 of August 5, 2014, on the Status of the Autonomous District of Abidjan.

• A draft law amending Article 12 of Law No. 2014-454 of August 5, 2014, on the Status of the Autonomous District of Yamoussoukro.

These different amending draft laws add the function of Senator to the list of incompatibilities with the position of Governor of the Autonomous District, taking into account the Ivorian Constitution of November 8, 2016, as amended.

3- Under the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Urban Development;

The Council adopted a draft law concerning the professions of Engineer and Consulting Engineer in the field of Building and Public Works.

This draft law defines the professions of engineers and consulting engineers and establishes the conditions for their practice in order to improve professional practices and ensure the protection of users against potential deficiencies in studies, works, and the supervision of infrastructure implementation in the field of Building and Public Works.

For this purpose, it provides for an Order of Engineers and Consulting Engineers responsible for organizing the practice of these professions, ensuring their protection against unauthorized individuals, and overseeing professional responsibility and ethics.

DRAFT ORDINANCE

Under the Ministry of the Interior and Security;

The Council adopted an ordinance and two (02) related decrees:

• An ordinance amending Articles 149, 153, 171, and 175 of Law No. 2012-1128 of December 13, 2012, on the organization of local authorities and the ratification bill related to it.

• A decree establishing the numerical composition of Regional Councils and the bureaus of Regional Councils.

• A decree establishing the number of Municipal Councilors and Deputy Mayors per Municipality.

These three (3) measures are implemented in accordance with Law No. 2012-1128 of December 13, 2012, on the organization of local authorities, which establishes a direct correlation between the composition of the management bodies of the Region and the Municipality and the population of these local authorities. Thus, the numerical composition of Regional Councils and the bureaus of Regional Councils, as well as the number of Municipal Councilors and Deputy Mayors per Municipality, are determined based on the population counted in the respective local authority.

Considering the increase in the population living in regions and municipalities, based on the final results of the General Population and Housing Census (RGPH) of 2021, this ordinance and the subsequent texts modify the numerical composition of the deliberative and executive bodies of local authorities to better reflect the diversity of currents and opinions and to ensure better support for the populations under their responsibility.

Regarding the Region, the maximum number of regional councilors is increased from 60 to 90, with a minimum of 35 regional councilors for regions with a population below 300,000 inhabitants. As for vice presidents, the ceiling has been raised to 8 for regions with a population exceeding 1,000,000 inhabitants, compared to the current 6.

For the Municipality, the maximum number of municipal councilors increases from 50 to 75, with a minimum of 28 municipal councilors for municipalities with a population below 10,000 inhabitants. As for Deputy Mayors, the maximum number has been increased from 6 to 8 for municipalities with over 1,000,000 inhabitants.

DECREE PROJECTS

1- Under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, in conjunction with the Ministry of State for Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and the Diaspora, and the Ministry of State for Defense;

The Council adopted a decree establishing the National Commission for the Implementation of International Humanitarian Law, its powers, organization, and functioning.

This Commission has been an advisory body providing technical support to the Government on International Humanitarian Law since 1996. This decree reorganizes the functioning of the Commission to make it more dynamic and to promote the dissemination and protection of International Humanitarian Law in our country.

2- Under the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio, and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development;

The Council adopted a decree granting a research permit for gold to the company “LACGOLD RESOURCES SARLU” in the departments of Taabo, Djékanou, and Toumodi.

This research permit is issued for a validity period of four (04) years, in accordance with the current technical and environmental standards.

3- Under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and SME Promotion, in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio;

The Council adopted a decree amending decree No. 2017-411 of June 21, 2017, regarding the powers, organization, and functioning of the Competition and Anti-Price-Fixing Commission.

This decree enhances the institutional and financial capacities of the Commission to strengthen its monitoring and repression operations against anti-competitive practices in the market.

4- Under the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, in conjunction with the Ministry of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Interior and Security, the Ministry of Water and Forests, the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene, and Universal Health Coverage, and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development;

The Council adopted a decree defining the conditions and procedures for accrediting establishments responsible for cleaning, disinfection, insect control, and rodent control in premises hosting or housing animals and places of storage for animal products.

Issued in accordance with Law No. 2020-995 of December 30, 2020, establishing the Veterinary Public Health Code, this decree aims to strengthen the prevention and control of animal diseases and new risks related to pathogenic agents. It will also address sanitary risks based on technological developments in livestock farming, processing, and marketing of animal products.

5- Under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Service, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio;

The Council adopted five (05) decrees:

• A decree defining the powers, organization, and functioning of Félix Houphouët-Boigny University.

• A decree defining the powers, organization, and functioning of Nangui Abrogoua University.

• A decree defining the powers, organization, and functioning of Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute.

• A decree establishing the creation, powers, organization, and functioning of Bondoukou University.

• A decree establishing the creation, powers, organization, and functioning of an Administrative Public Institution called Bondoukou Regional University Works Center, abbreviated as CROU Bondoukou.

This set of decrees is part of the deployment of the University Decentralization Program and the University Map, with the aim of establishing universities to increase the capacity of Higher Education’s training and research units and develop training programs tailored to the needs of the national economy. In this regard, Bondoukou University, which brings the total number of functioning public universities to nine (9), will open its doors in the 2023 academic year, following the recent opening of San-Pedro University and Man University. Divided into four (4) development phases, Bondoukou University will start with a student body of 3,000. Ultimately, in phase 4, Bondoukou University plans to accommodate 20,000 students, who will be trained in social sciences, architecture, and urban planning, among other specialties.

Thus, these decrees establish the governance, reception, and educational framework of Bondoukou University. They also ensure compliance of the previously established university centers, namely UFHB, UNA, and INP-HB, with the new requirements introduced by the new law on Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, adopted in May 2023. In accordance with this law, which designates university establishments as Administrative Public Institutions with a Scientific and Technological character, these decrees reorganize these institutions in terms of institutional, academic, and financial renovation, aiming to elevate the Research and Higher Education system to a level of quality and performance that enables our country to sustainably support its competitiveness on the international stage.

C/– COMMUNICATIONS

1- Under the Ministry of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior and Security, the Ministry of Planning and Development, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio;

The Council adopted a communication regarding the National Strategy and the National Program for Rural Land Security.

Aligned with the Rural Land Policy Declaration, the NSRL, and NPSRL aim to ensure the security of rural land in order to significantly reduce poverty in rural areas, strengthen social cohesion, and sustainably manage natural resources. These public policy documents primarily focus on strengthening the governance of rural land and accelerating land security operations. Specifically, the objective is to improve the legal and institutional framework for managing rural land, creating favorable conditions for the certification of approximately 22.6 million hectares of rural land and completing the demarcation of village territories.

The implementation of the NSRL and its program for the period 2023-2033 is estimated to require 620 billion CFA francs.

2- Under the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy;

The Council adopted a communication regarding the expression of interest from ICE OIL & GAS Company for oil block CI-705.

ICE OIL & GAS Company is an Ivorian company specializing in hydrocarbon and energy production. In line with the development of local content, the Council has approved the entry of this national company into the sector of exploration and production of oil blocks.

D/– MISCELLANEOUS

The next Council of Ministers will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, in Abidjan.

Mr. Mamadou TOURE

Minister for Youth Promotion, Professional Integration, and Civic Service

Deputy Government Spokesperson

 

No more immediate acquisition of Ivorian nationality by foreign spouses

Breaking News, Politics

The Council of Ministers gathered this day has ruled out “immediate acquisition of Ivorian nationality by foreign spouses”.

The draft bill amends Law No. 61-415 of December 14, 1961, known as the Nationality Code, as amended by Laws No. 72-852 of December 21, 1972, No. 2004-662 of December 17, 2004, Decisions No. 2005-03/PR of July 15, 2005, No. 2005-009/PR of August 29, 2005, and Law No. 2013-654 of December 13, 2013.

This draft bill aims to prevent fraud regarding Ivorian nationality, particularly by addressing sham marriages contracted to bypass the regular naturalization procedure. Thus, this bill prevents the immediate acquisition of Ivorian nationality by the foreign spouse following the administrative procedure of marriage with the other Ivorian spouse.

It conditions the acquisition of nationality on a declaration by the foreign spouse made before the Minister of Justice, after a probationary period of five (5) years from the date of marriage, to assess the stability of the union and the applicant’s interest in Ivorian nationality. Moreover, nationality is only acquired on the date of acceptance of the declaration of acquisition of Ivorian nationality by the competent authority.”

Anomalies related to the civil registry system need to be addressed (PDCI-RDA)

Politics

In the process of the electoral list dispute in the Ivory Coast, the PDCI-RDA, had a second working session with the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the headquarters of the institution in Abidjan II-Plateaux.

In their statement following the discussions, the head of the PDCI delegation, Prof. Niamkey Koffi, pointed out the problems associated with the “civil registry system” in Côte d’Ivoire.

“(…) There are anomalies related to our entire civil registry system that need to be reviewed, overhauled, and around which awareness should be raised,” acknowledged Professor Niamkey Koffi.

Therefore, he continued, the PDCI would like to “contribute to the search for solutions so that ultimately the electoral list is a clean, credible, and reliable list.”

“We came, we discussed, we dialogued, we explained ourselves. And we reached agreements on a number of points that will lead to the correction of certain correctable anomalies. There are anomalies that are material errors that will also be addressed,” he added.

The day before, the PDCI-RDA was preceded by a delegation from the PPA-CI, Laurent Gbagbo’s party, which demands his inclusion on the electoral list, who came to present to the Independent Electoral Commission the “disputed cases” identified.

 

Conviction of Laurent Gbagbo in the case of the looting of the BCEAO

International, Politics

According to the Spokesperson of Ouattara’s government, the charges against Laurent Gbagbo in the case of the looting of the BCEAO were served to him through his lawyers.

“Contrary to what Mr. Laurent Gbagbo wants to make people believe, the charges brought against him in the case of the looting of the BCEAO were served to him through his lawyers,” stated Touré Mamadou, Minister of Youth Promotion, Professional Integration, and Civic Service, and Deputy Government Spokesperson of the Ivorian government. He made this statement following the council of ministers presided over by the Head of State, Alassane Ouattara, on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the presidential palace in Abidjan-Plateau.

“According to the information I have, at various stages of the legal process, lawyers representing Laurent Gbagbo came to serve him with decisions and summonses, to which they responded. The problem this poses is how they were able to represent the former Head of State and respond to legal summons and hearings. Either his lawyers engaged in forgery, and in that case, Laurent Gbagbo has the right to seek justice to ascertain their intentions, or it’s a way to delay the process,” questioned Mr. Touré.

According to Touré Mamadou, “Decisions are rendered according to the principles that govern our judicial system. The second thing is that beyond the decision itself, unfortunately, we observe a selective interpretation of the 2005 law regarding the status of former presidents of the republic. If Mr. Laurent Gbagbo, from whom this law originates, had a complete understanding of the law, he would know that the same law states that offenses committed during electoral processes are not subject to the exceptional procedures for heads of state or former presidents of institutions.” According to the government spokesperson, “this means that all offenses committed during the post-electoral crisis are subject to a process without considering the status of the head of state,” and he added, “it would have been desirable for this aspect to be revealed to the public.”

The former Head of State, Laurent Gbagbo, President of the Ivorian Popular Front (PPI-CI) party, visited the annex offices of the Independent Electoral Commission in Cocody Angré 8th tranche on Thursday, June 8, 2023, to file a complaint regarding his removal from the voter list. After addressing the electoral authority to assert the existence of one of his rights, the former Head of State (2000-2010) stated that he did not recognize the allegations of the looting of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). “After a trial that judged me for allegedly robbing the BCEAO, I vehemently refute such an accusation. Throughout my life, I have always worked to ensure that I have no shame in my criminal record.”

Laurent Gbagbo supported his argument by stating that he was the President of the Republic from 2000 to April 2011 and that the trial of a former head of state follows specific procedures. “I am Laurent Gbagbo, President of the Republic from October 2000 to April 2011. You don’t just judge a former president in any way and before any jurisdiction. There is a procedure for implicating and trying a former president of the Republic and former presidents of institutions. It’s a law from 2005.” And he concluded, “I don’t know why I was judged; no one summoned me because for there to be a trial, the accused is contacted and handed a summons.”

Back Home

Breaking News

Bassirou Diomaye Faye veut une discussion “sereine” avec la France sur la présence militaire

By Leave a Comment

Le président sénégalais Bassirou Diomaye Faye a indiqué samedi 13 juillet qu’il souhaite aborder avec la France la question de la présence militaire française au Sénégal de manière “sereine”, sans envisager une “rupture brutale”. Élu avec une promesse de rupture avec l’ancien système, Bassirou Diomaye Faye n’a pas encore fixé de date pour une éventuelle […]

Ivory Coast Evening News July 13th

By Leave a Comment

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the channel that stays close to the people. We’re delighted to have you with us for your news report. **Top Stories**: This weekend, after the euphoria of celebrations, new high school graduates must face the challenge of choosing their future paths. To help them, a career guidance fair has been […]