GURIRAB ENDORSES OUATTARA ELECTION, CAUTIONS AGAINST VIOLENCE

The President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, made the following statement today on the situation in Côte d'Ivoire.

"The present situation in Côte d'Ivoire is cause for serious alarm. The violence is worsening, and today's gun battles have further heightened the risk of the country sliding back into civil war.

As President of the IPU I fully endorse the statement issued by the United Nations Security Council which said "In view of ECOWAS' recognition of Alassane Dramane Ouattara as President-elect of Côte d'Ivoire and representative of the freely expressed voice of the Ivorian people as proclaimed by the Independent Electoral Commission, the members of the Security Council call on all stakeholders to respect the outcome of the election. The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest possible terms any effort to subvert the will of the people or undermine either the integrity of the electoral process or the free and fair elections in Côte d'Ivoire".

The IPU supports the efforts of the African Union and ECOWAS in promoting dialogue in Côte d'Ivoire in the aftermath of the UN-brokered elections held there. We call for political reconciliation, the resumption of full press freedoms and a return to law and order. The clear outcome of this election must be respected."