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Opposition party  attacks ruling party for broken promises

Ivory Coast

The leader of the opposition party in Ivory Coast has accused the government of reneging on the agreements it signed with opposition groups.

Explaining the reason for leading a recent demonstration against the government, Bacongo Cisse, who is in charge of mobilization in the Republican’s Rally (RDR), said President Laurent Gbagbo refuses to let reconciliation government work.

In fact, Gbagbo’s party, the Popular Front of Ivory Coast (FPI) says that they signed Marcoussis Agreements because they had no other way and today they feel strong enough to win another war.

The RDR leader is in exile in France.

Cisse said his party demonstrated in order to show that people is fed of war and want peace.

” The Constitution stands that everyone has the right to express himself. We are Ivorian and we live in our country and we have something to say. So we have the right to demonstrate, “ he said.

Asked why  the RDR was not talking with the government to resolve  their  difference instead of demonstrating, Cisse replied:

“ FPI leader says that they had no chance to win the war against the rebels when they signed the Marcoussis Agreements in January 2002. And that today they are strong enough to win.

“So they no longer recognize what they signed. In fact the reconciliation government has never been able to work properly. President Gbagbo and his militias keep everyone in hostage in Abidjan. This is not responsible and cannot continue eternally”

Cisse said  300 to 500 people were killed when soldier opened fired on the demonstrators.

He said  Ivory Coast is no more the model of development it used to be under President Felix Houphouet-Boigny.

“It’s a shame. We know civil war for the first time in our history. And the only way to get out of that war is to apply the Agreements of Marcoussis. But President Gbagbo refuses that deal he signed in France on January 2002,” Cisse said.

He said the problem will persist as long as Gbagbo is the President. “He is the problem of Cote d’Ivoire.”