President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire has stated that he would spare no effort to ensure the holding of a credible, inclusive, transparent and peaceful presidential election in his country.
He made the promise when a joint mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union and United Nations called on him recently.
The Mission was in Abidjan from 4th to 7th October 2020.
The joint mission was consecutive to the ECOWAS-UN video conference held with the President of the Independent Electoral Commission of Cote d’Ivoire on June 24, 2020 to review the preparations for the presidential elections of October 31, 2020.
The delegation of the joint mission was composed of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, and chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for West And the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas; ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, General Francis A. Behanzin, and the Executive Secretary of the Council of the Entente, Patrice Kouame.
In a Communique jointly issued by ECOWAS, AU and UN, revealed that the purpose of the joint mission was to provide Ivoiren stakeholders an additional high level consultative platform, in addition to ongoing efforts to establish communication and interaction among political actors, to agree on consensual commitments for an inclusive, transparent and peaceful presidential election.
During the Mission’s stay in Abidjan, President Ouattara reaffirmed his commitment to promote peace in Cote d’Ivoire and the entire ECOWAS sub-region.
According to the Communique, the Mission held series of consultative meetings including one with various institutional actors, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Security and Civil Protection, as well as the President of the Independent Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Council on the state of preparations for the presidential election on October 31, 2020.
The Ghanaian delegation to Cote d’Ivoire included Frederick Daniel Laryea, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Ivory Coast; Michael Ofori- Atta Director of Regional Integration, Presidency; Philbert Johnson
Director- Africa Bureau Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Carolyn Oppong- Ntiri
Director, Office of the Foreign Minister.
By Melvin Tarlue