IVORY COAST: Incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo defies international demands for him to step down and names new cabinet

Record ID: 181901

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo defies international demands for him to step down and names new cabinet
  • Date: 8th December 2010
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (DECEMBER 7, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INCUMBENT PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO ARRIVING AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN ABIDJAN / JOURNALISTS GBAGBO WALKING DOWN STAIRS, WAVING LEADER OF YOUNG PATRIOTS, CHARLES BLE GOUDE, ARRIVING AT PRESIDENTIAL PALACE AFTER BEING NAMED YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT MINISTER VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS IN THE BUILDING VARIOUS OF MINISTERS SITTING WAITING FOR CABINET MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (French) YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT MINISTER, LEADER OF THE YOUNG PATRIOTS, CHARLES BLE GOUDE, SAYING: "I am not the first one to be a minister but I wanted to say that as far as I'm concerned nothing changes, I'm the same Charles Ble Goude and will stay the same, close to young people, with the young people, for young people, particularly now that I have been given this portofolio." VARIOUS OF GBAGBO POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH PRIME MINISTER GILBERT MARIE AKE AND THE REST OF HIS CABINET (SOUNDBITE) (French) GBAGBO'S PRIME MINISTER, GILBERT MARIE AKE, SAYING: "We have economy problems but for the moment, the president of the republic has put the accent on problems of governance, but to effectively address all these difficulties, we need to be in a more adequate socio-political context." VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA78M7OXIG0059LXMG935GVS754
  • Story Text: Ivory Coast's President Laurent Gbagbo named a new cabinet on Tuesday (December 7) despite international calls for him to step down, omitting his ex-finance minister who is in a line-up proposed by rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara.
    Charles Koffi Diby, who handled talks on $3 billion debt relief with the IMF and World Bank, has been widely praised for managing the nation's economy.
    Diby's nomination this week sparked speculation that Ouattara, who says he won a disputed Nov. 28 poll, had persuaded one of the few internationally known members of Gbagbo's team onto his side. However, Diby failed to turn up to the first meeting of the parallel cabinet on Monday.
    Ble Goude, leader of pro-Gbagbo militia the Young Patriots, was named as Gbagbo's youth and employment minister.
    "I am not the first one to be a minister but I wanted to say that as far as I'm concerned nothing changes, I'm the same Charles Ble Goude and will stay the same, close to young people, with the young people, for young people, particularly now that I have been given this portofolio," Ble Goude said.
    Ouattara has been recognised as president by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. President Barack Obama and others, while Gbagbo retains control of the army and has dismissed calls to stand down as outside interference.
    Gbagbo gave the finance and economy portfolio to Desire Dallo, former managing director of San Pedro port, according to a list handed out at the first meeting of the new cabinet.
    Gbagbo's former prime minister Guillaume Soro has already switched sides to Ouattara. He has been replaced by Gilbert Ake, a university chief and longtime Gbagbo ally unknown to many Ivorians.
    "We have economy problems but for the moment, the president of the republic has put the accent on problems of governance, but to effectively address all these difficulties, we need to be in a more adequate socio-political context," Ake said after the meeting.
    Gbagbo was sworn in as president last week and appointed the new government, defying calls from the United Nations, the United States, France and others for him to accept provisional results of the Nov. 28 poll that made Ouattara the clear winner.
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