In a statement, the NGO ICEA-CI welcomes the Head of State’s desire to work for smooth elections and urges him to remove all potential conflicting obstacles.
During his end-of-year address of December 31, 2022 to the Nation, Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, said this, with regard to the electoral deadlines to come: “Finally, the year 2023 will be also an election year, which is why I want to call on the entire population, the political class, the traditional chiefs and the religious leaders to mobilize during the local deadlines so that we demonstrate again with elections without violence, the maturity of our democracy. »
With these words, the President fully marks his convergence of vision with the NGO Citizen Initiative for Peaceful Elections in Côte d’Ivoire (ICEA-CI), which has been challenging national opinion for more than two years. and internationally on the need to work for elections without violence in our country.
The NGO ICEA-CI salutes with deference this position of the Head of State, supreme authority of the country, guarantor of the proper functioning of public authorities, security and peace.
Indeed, after three decades of pre- and post-election crises punctuated by violence, the dramatic consequences of which remain engraved in the collective memory, it was extremely important, on the eve of the local deadlines for this year 2023 and in view of the sources of tension and acts of violence observed here and there, that the President of the Republic, guarantor of stability and social cohesion, calls on the commitment of all for truly peaceful elections, for once, in Côte d’Ivoire.
The NGO ICEA-CI, while welcoming this posture of the President of the Republic, would like to respectfully invite him to stay the course, in particular by using his sovereign role of arbitration, in order to remove all potentially conflicting obstacles. By this act, it would indicate its strict neutrality, in addition to freeing the expression of the initiatives and commitments of the various actors of the electoral process that the NGO wishes to challenge below:
To the Institutions involved in the organization of the electoral process (CEI, Constitutional Council, Ministry of Security): to play with rigor, neutrality and objectivity, the mission assigned to them;
With regard to the chancelleries accredited in Côte d’Ivoire: the NGO expresses the deep wish to see them contribute, at whatever level, to the preservation of a climate of peace in the country. Their mediation with the various protagonists, given the scope of their voices, is useful and necessary for this purpose.
To certain diplomatic officials of the sub-region: (Mali, Guinea, Burkina-Faso, Niger etc.) to call their nationals who are indexed, rightly or wrongly, as electoral cattle in the political game in Côte d’Ivoire, to stay away from these operations.
With regard to political parties, without distinction: the NGO recommends the maintenance of a sincere political dialogue, information and training of their activists on the consequences of violence, respect for texts and laws relating to organization of democratic elections as well as human values of courtesy and finally, the call to their militants and sympathizers for more restraint, in order to guarantee a peaceful socio-political and electoral environment;
With regard to religious leaders and traditional chiefs: moral guarantors of our society on a spiritual and socio-cultural level, the NGO launches an appeal to give voice both to government authorities, guarantors of stability and social cohesion, political parties, telling them that the political game cannot accommodate violence or war between compatriots, because all of them, in their speeches, advocate solidarity, the well-being of the people, respect for public property and human person
In this regard, the NGO would like to salute and thank the authorities of the Catholic Church of Cote d’Ivoire, who for a long time have not hesitated to speak out on situations likely to affect peace and social balance in our country:
With regard to Ivorian youth: The NGO notes the point of honor made to them by political leaders such as President Laurent Gbagbo (Cf: his address to them on December 10, 2022 during his meeting in Adzopé) and President Alassane Ouattara (Cf: his dedication of the Year 2023 to the youth during his address to the Nation on December 31, 2022). The NGO, noting that young people can be peacemakers as well as armed forces during conflicts, invites Ivorian youth to join in the construction of a democratic Côte d’Ivoire, far from any form infantilizing instrumentalization and purchase of conscience;
To cyber-activists and Ivorian influencers on social networks: the NGO wishes, at the beginning of the year 2023, to salute your efforts to contribute to the building of the Ivorian Nation and to the strengthening of the maturity of democracy as desired by the Head of State.
Aware that vexing, indecent, offensive words can have as much, if not more deadly effects than gunshots, the NGO encourages you, all tendencies, to have more moderation in your comments, in line with our traditional African values. of courtesy, of respect due to the elders as well as to the authorities, in order to set you up as powerful relays of the speeches of peace, union and solidarity.
Finally, the NGO reiterates its thanks to the Head of State for his commitment to elections without violence in Côte d’Ivoire and his strong appeal to all socio-political actors. She invites them to take ownership of this important commitment from the President in order to mobilize for peaceful elections during the upcoming local elections.
Done in Abidjan on January 04, 2023
The president
Bamba Massany