IVORY COAST: Campaigns open ahead of legislative elections, voters assess Alassane Ouattara's performance after six months

Record ID: 182116

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Campaigns open ahead of legislative elections, voters assess Alassane Ouattara's performance after six months
  • Date: 9th December 2011
  • Summary: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST (DECEMBER 08, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHOCOLATE SPREAD BEING PREPARED IN A LARGE VAT VARIOUS OF WOMEN MAKING THE CHOCOLATE SPREAD (SOUNDBITE) (French) OLGA YENOU, ANTONIA INDUSTRIE, CHOCOLATE SPREAD COMPANY FOUNDER SAYING: "I started this project five years ago, before the new authorities started popularising the cocoa industry. If they do what they say they're going to do today we should seize the opportunity. I'm really pleased with the decision taken by the authorities." VARIOUS OF THE WOMEN POURING THE CHOCOLATE INTO PACKAGING THE FINISHED PRODUCT VARIOUS STREET SCENES (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARMEL BOHO, STUDENT SAYING: "None of the government projects have been set up, they still haven't been put in place. Up to now nothing has been put in place. Nothing. So lets just hope the president holds good on his promises." VARIOUS OF CARS ON THE ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (French) SIE ELIE STEPHANE, UNEMPLOYED GRADUATE, SAYING: "They (the authorities) are in the process of upgrading the roads, especially when it comes to cleaning up the streets. On this I really congratulate the government. My only problem is I wish they would think more about youth so that we can find work." MORE STREET SCENES (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAURENT BOBLET, CIVIL SERVANT SAYING: "Over all, the outlook has been negative because all that they promised during the campaign, (Ouattara) promised to build a university per year in the five years he was in power but instead he destroyed all public universities that are already here, that is truly damaging. There is a rise in the number of people out of work." VARIOUS OF CAMPAIGN POSTERS FOR LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS IN THE STREET/CARS AND PEOPLE PASSING
  • Embargoed: 24th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6LH9MJAHUTNGIOWAMIVQUQK50
  • Story Text: Canvassing started in Ivory Coast on Wednesday (December 7), as the country prepares to go to the first polls since a civil war triggered by a disputed November 2010 presidential election killed 3,000 people and displaced over a million.
    Legislative elections scheduled for Sunday (December 11) are a test for President Alassane Ouattara as he tries to solidify his mandate over a still-divided country after years of instability.
    As candidates try to rally support, voters have been giving their assessment of how the first six month of his presidency has been.
    Olga Yenou runs her own chocolate business, Antonia Industrie. She says the government's move to popularise Ivory Coast's cocoa industry to allow small producers to get a hold on the market will make a huge difference to entrepreneurs like her.
    "I started this project five years ago, before the new authorities started popularising the cocoa industry. If they do what they say they're going to do today we should seize the opportunity. I'm really pleased with the decision taken by the authorities," she said.
    But for others change has been slower to reveal itself. Many ordinary Ivorians are fed up with the difficulties they face making ends meet, as the country struggles to make up for years of unrest and the recent civil war.
    "None of the government projects have been set up, they still haven't been put in place. Up to now nothing has been put in place. Nothing. So lets just hope the president holds good on his promises," said student Armel Boho.
    During his campaign for election in 2010, Ouattara promised voters better access to education and healthcare and better provisions for business including improved roads and transport links.
    Sie Elie Stephan, an unemployed graduate says he's pleased with some of work the government has done in road building and cleaning up public spaces, efforts he now hope will also be ploughed into helping graduates like him find work.
    "They (the authorities) are in the process of upgrading the roads, especially when it comes to cleaning up the streets. On this I really congratulate the government. My only problem is I wish they would think more about youth so that we can find work," he said.
    University education has been a particular sore point since Ouattara came to power, and many complain that while he campaigned on a promise to build a new university for every year he was in power, six months on nothing has materialised. What's more, public universities in Abidjan have remained closed.
    "Over all the outlook has been negative because all that they promised during the campaign, (Ouattara) promised to build a university per year in the five years he was in power but instead he destroyed all public universities that are already here, that is truly damaging. There is a rise in the number of people out of work," said Laurent Boblet, a civil servant.
    Former president Laurant Gbagbo is now facing charges in the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for his role in the war after a force of mostly northern ex-rebels, backed by French forces, captured him in the main city, Abidjan, in April.
    He was flown to The Hague recently to face charges of crimes against humanity.
    Gbagbo's allies had previously said they would boycott the coming legislative elections on the grounds that their leader should be tried in Ivory Coast and not in Europe.
    However the head of the party once led by Gbagbo hit out on Wednesday (December 07) at political allies who have broken the boycott and announced they will take part.
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