Opposition leader granted citizenship papers

An Ivorian judge on Friday delivered a certificate of nationality to opposition leader Alassane Dramane Ouattara, thus confirming that the opposition leader is a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire.

The issue of Ouattara's nationality had been a source of controversy in Cote d'Ivoire for years.
While Ouattara, a former prime minister, maintained he was Ivoirian, his opponents claimed that he was Burkinabe. The nationality debate climaxed in 2000 when the Constitutional Court barred Ouattara on nationality grounds from participating in presidential and legislative elections. On both occasions,
the rulings led to violent street protests in which scores of people died.

Since Friday's decision was announced on stated-owned television, localised street protests have taken place in the economic capital, Abidjan. On Monday, a group of protesters held a rally in front of the Abidjan court to "demand an explanation" from the judge who issued the certificate of nationality to Ouattara, state radio reported.

The issuing of the certificate had been one of the main recommendations of Cote d'Ivoire's national reconciliation forum, held from October to December 2001. The recommendation was reiterated earlier this year when the leaders of the country's four most influential parties met to follow up on the forum.

Various political actors quoted by Fraternite-Matin, the pro-government daily, expressed satisfaction at the court's decision.

However, the certificate of nationality would solve only part of the problem. The remaining issue is Ouattara's eligibility for the presidency. According to the constitution, a presidential candidate must be able to prove that both parents were Ivorian citizens. Ouattara's detractors claim that one of his parents was from Burkina Faso.