This posting was sent yesterday but rejected because I exceeded the limit.
By way of update, the situation has deteriorated this morning.  The streets
of Abidjan are this time filled with Ouattara's supporters demanding a fresh
election in which their candidate will participate together with ALL the
others. South African Head of State and ECOWAS have both called for fresh
presidential elections to be held. It appears it ain't over until its over.
More details later.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Beran and Bro.Habib,

This piece is just the beginning of self-serving interviews that former
members of the junta and supporters will be peddling in the weeks ahead in
an attempt to absolve themselves of blame.  True, Mrs. Guei has been widely
seen as the main driving force behind Gen, Guei. She has also made very
inflamatory remarks during the campaign about "foreigners"who happen to be
second and third generation Ivorians despite the fact that she is Cape
Verdo-Senegalese. But as both of you agree, the ultimate decision to concede
defeat rests entirely with Guei as Head of State and not Mrs, Guei.  It may
be of interest to note that as late as Monday when the votes counting was
interrupted by Guei and Gbagbo demanding that power be transfered peacefully
to him with all the guarantees cited in the piece, it was this very same
Sama who, as Information Minister, retorted that they were in the elections
to win and not in the business of handing over power.  Sama is the most
recent appointee in the cabinet but has managed to be the least popular.
General Mathias Doua, on the other hand, has been very popular with the
youth of this country.  He is noted for both his self-effacing
personality and professionalism.  He was with the former number two man in
the junta, General Palemfo, in Sydney during the Olympics when Palemfo
decided to return home when, in his absence, his house was searched in his
for incriminating evidence following the attack on Guei's residence.  Doua
offered to accompany Palemfo on his return journey even though he could have
been accused of siding with Palemfo who was already in trouble with the
junta because of his alleged clsoe associatiom with Ouattara but he urged
him to stay on since it was his duty to stay as the Minister of Sports.
During the campaign, Doua assumed an active role in the campaign (nothing
surprising about that per se since he was a memder of the military
government) But what surprised people was that General Doua stayed on this
long without resigning and actually participated in the campaign.  He was
very uneasy about the entire process although he was one of the most
important leaders of the 24th December coup.  Indeed, he is considered by
many to be the brain behind the December putschists.  He is also widely
believed to have wanted Guei to keep his promise and hand over power to
civilians at the end of the transition.  Mathias would not have survived
long under Guei's administration should he succeeded in pulling this one out
of a rabbit's hat.  Duoa is a reluctant putchist. I believe he meant it when
he requested Guei to concede defeat. Looking around for some else to blame
is not the answer.  Decent and honourable men and women are expected to
accept responsibility for their actions under any circumstance.

Sidi Sanneh


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