A Spokesperson for Ivorian rival President Alassane Ouattara has rejected calls for a possible re-run of the elections as a solution to the deadlock.
Mr. Patrice Achi, also the Economic Infrastructure Minister for Mr. Ouattara’s Government, in an interview with Citi News said such a move will spell doom for the African continent and will not be workable.
Mr. Achi argued that democracy in Africa will be jeopardized if it is not upheld in the Ivorian situation.
He also said the only way forward is for Mr. Gbagbo to step down as parallel President so negotiations can proceed.
“If you we do so then we are going nowhere in maintaining democracy in Africa. If Ghanaians do not understand that, then no one will.Ouattara has said one thing that he is open to negotiations and mediation, but the first step is that Gbagbo should step down and recognise that he has lost the elections. If he does not step down, there is no way we can move forward. We Africans must be very careful and not play with democracy and Ghanaians should know better other than that there will be no better development on this continent.
The Spokesperson will however not judge Ghana for her decision not to contribute troops for any future military action in Ivory Coast.
“All ECOWAS countries including Ghana said Alassane Ouattara has won the elections. This is Ghana’s internal affairs and Ouattara would not want to go into that. Each country has its own interests. May be the interest of Ghana is just that military intervention will not be in their interest. May be there are other reasons but we cannot judge the position of Ghana or President Atta Mills” he said.
In a related development, International Relations Analyst and Consultant to the African Union, Dr. Niiyi Alabi says the visit by the Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga to Ghana, is to keep President Mills in line with the AU’s position.
Mr. Odinga, who is the AU’s Mediator in the Ivorian crisis, visited President Mills on Wednesday January 19, to brief him on developments in that country and also to seek suggestions on how the impasse could be tackled.
The AU Mediator later in a statement, appealed to African Leaders to continue to speak with one voice in supporting the principled positions taken by the AU and ECOWAS, which still considers the possible use of force as the last resort.
But in an interview with Citi News, Dr. Alabi said Raila Odinga’s visit was partly to entreat President Mills to wholly support the Union and ECOWAS’ positions.