Global Policy Forum

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has welcomed the latest UN move on Ivory Coast as "a glorious victory".

The BBC's James Copnall says this is because the UN resolution recognises the supremacy of the constitution, which his critics want to suspend. The resolution takes some powers from the president and gives them to the prime minister, in an attempt to end Ivory Coast's political deadlock. Many diplomats accuse Mr Gbagbo of trying to block peace efforts. Rebels have controlled the north since 2002 and elections, due in October 2004, have twice been postponed.

Watered down

UN Security Council resolution 1721 extended the mandate of both President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny for another year. Mr Banny was appointed last year as a neutral figure, tasked with organising elections, but some observers feel Mr Gbagbo has stopped him from doing his job, often by referring to the president's powers as defined by the constitution.

Our correspondent says the final version was watered down from earlier drafts, which envisaged the prime minister making key military and civilian appointments. Mr Gbagbo's supporters had said the earlier draft would have meant the UN was imposing regime change on Ivory Coast. "The members of the security council rejected the possibility of making the constitution of any state subordinate to a decision made by an international organisation, even the UN," the president said in a televised address to the nation. "We rejoice for ourselves, but also for all countries in the world who hold freedom dear," Mr Gbagbo said.

France, which sponsored the resolution, had insisted that the new resolution would be more important than the Ivorian constitution but Mr Gbagbo disagreed. "Any articles, any clauses in the resolution which constitute violations of Ivory Coast's constitution will not be applied," he said.

Warning

The UN resolution gives UN High Representative for Elections in Ivory Coast Gerard Stoudmann the role of final arbiter on elections issues, including the controversial question of deciding whether the millions of Ivorians without identity documents should be allowed to vote in the elections. The rebels and opposition groups say many northerners and Muslims are being discriminated against by not being included on the electoral roll.

Mr Gbagbo's supporters say they are foreigners and so should not be allowed to vote. Mr Stoudmann said it would be possible to hold elections by next September. "I don't see any conflict between the constitution and the smooth implementation of the new resolution," he said.

The president made almost no direct mention of the new powers granted to the prime minister. But if the president does not accept losing some of his powers to the prime minister, he would be going against the majority of the resolution, our correspondent says. Mr Gbagbo also warned Ivorian against taking to the streets to protest at the resolution. President Gbagbo's opponents will take that as a threat to their supporters, should they attempt to demonstrate, our reporter says.

In March 2004, more than 120 opposition supporters were killed by the Ivorian security forces as they attempted to take part in a banned march.

The Ivorian armed forces have deployed in large numbers throughout the main city, Abidjan, to ward off any potential trouble. There are more than 10,000 French and UN troops in Ivory Coast, most patrolling the ceasefire line between the northern and southern parts of the country. But plans announced last October to disarm militias and carry out a population census to prepare for elections have failed to get off the ground.

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