Leaders react to call for truce

Leaders of political parties and trade unions have said that they approve, in principle, a call for peace made by the Ivorian prime minister, Affi N’Guessan, local news organisations reported on Tuesday. N’Guessan appealed in parliament on Friday for peace and a political truce to allow his government to execute its plans and campaign promises.

The main opposition Rassemblement des Republicains (RDR) said it would accept the truce if the government ended the “excessive arrests and questionings” perpetrated against its supporters and “ordered the immediate release of its political leaders”, the state-owned daily, ‘Fraternite-Matin’, reported.

The RDR also called for the publication of the results of an inquiry into mass killings in late October.

The Parti liberal de Cote d’Ivoire (PLCI), expressed support for the call. It said the ruling Front populaire ivoirien would have to “offer itself this grace period” by carrying out a national unity campaign with all local and international actors. The PLCI also backed the demands made by the RDR, the independent ‘Le Jour’ reported.

The former ruling Parti democratique de Cote d’Ivoire also approved the Prime Minister’s call, but the Parti ivoirien des democrats called it a “pure joke”.

One of Cote d’Ivoire largest trades union, Dignite, pledged its support but demanded lower prices for certain goods. However, the Syndicat de l’enseignement superieur, a teachers’ union, rejected it because it had not reached an agreement with the government on salaries.

Political and social unrest have plagued the country in recent years, especially since its first coup d’etat in December 1999.