President proposes referendum on constitution

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo said on Tuesday he was ready to hold a referendum on the country's constitution, whose amendment has been demanded by rebels opposed to his government. State television reported Gbagbo as saying the referendum could be held next year. "I will hold a referendum to ask the people of Ivory Coast if they want to amend the constitution or not. I am not afraid of the people," the president said. Constitutional changes are one of the demands made by the rebels, who mutinied on 19 September and have since held parts of northern and central Cote d'Ivoire. Other demands are for Gbagbo to step down and fresh elections to be held. The government, on the other hand, has said that the rebels must disarm and respect the constitution. Negotiations in Lome brokered by Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema have been very slow for about a week. A peace plan was proposed in Lome, but the rebels this week presented a counter-proposal. The Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) reported on Tuesday that a peace keeping force was being assembled to replace French troops who have been monitoring a cease-fire concluded on 17 October. The ECOWAS force is expected by the end of the month. Meanwhile the UN Children's Fund, which last week sent a team to the rebel-held northern town of Korhogo, reported that children in areas under the insurgents' control faced a risk of epidemics and malnutrition if no aid was delivered to them. It also called on the rebels not to recruit child soldiers. More on the UNICEF team's