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INFO RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/24 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID ASEC IV
SUBJECT: New Government Announced; Opposition Slots Still Vacant 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Mary Townswick, Pol/Econ Chief; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On February 23, the new, slightly streamlined 
Ivoirian government was announced; 11 ministerial slots reserved 
for the various opposition parties remain vacant, as the opposition 
has refused to participate until the Independent Electoral 
Commission (CEI) is reconstituted.  Sixteen ministries remain with 
the ruling FPI and the Forces Nouvelles, whose incumbents still 
control important posts such as Defense, Interior, and Justice. 
The country is fairly calm as the opposition awaits the 
reinstatement of the CEI (expected February 25) with new 
leadership.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) On February 23, the Presidency issued a decree naming the 
new government.  The number of ministries has been reduced from 33 
to 27; 11 were allocated to the opposition parties (Foreign Affairs 
and African Integration; Agriculture; Commerce; Transport; 
Infrastructure; New Technologies and Information Communication; 
Higher Education; Health and Public Hygiene; Environment, Urban 
Sanitation, and Water and Forestry; Family and Social Affairs; and 
Culture and Francophonie).  As the opposition has remained 
steadfast in refusing to participate in the government until the 
Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is reinstated, no names were 
announced for these positions. 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) PM Soro subsequently held a press conference at which he 
confirmed that CEI president Robert Mambe and all four of his 
vice-presidents are to be replaced.  New leaders are to be named by 
February 25.  The general expectation is that the opposition will 
name its ministers once the new CEI is in place.  Soro also 
indicated that the target timeframe for elections is now late 
April-early May. 
 
 
 
FPI and FN Ministries 
 
 
 
¶4. (U)  There were no changes to the following ministries:  AIDS, 
Dr. Christine Adjobi (FPI); Economy and Finance, Charles Diby 
(civil society); Defense, Michel Amani N'Guessan (FPI); Interior, 
Desire Tagro (FPI); Planning, Paul Bohoun Bouabre (FPI); Justice 
and Human Rights, Kone Mamadou (FN); Animal Production and 
Husbandry, Alphonse Douati (FPI); Tourism and Handicrafts, Sidiki 
 
Konate (FN); Education, Gilbert Bleu Laine (presidential majority); 
and Communications, Ibrahim Sy Savane (FN). 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) There are three new ministers:  Emile Guirieoulou (FPI, 
deputy from Guiglo), Civil Service and Employment; Tiemoko Meyliet 
Kone (FN, Soro's former cabinet director), Construction, Urban 
Planning and Housing; and Benjamin Atse Yapo (FPI), Technical 
Education and Vocational Training.  There were also some 
ministerial swaps, with Augustin Kouadio Komoe (FPI) moving from 
Culture and Francophonie to Mines and Energy, and Theodore Mel Eg 
(presidential majority) transferring from the(now defunct)Urban 
Sanitation to Youth and Sports. 
 
 
 
Slight Streamlining 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) The number of ministries was reduced from 33 to 27, with the 
Ministries of National Reconciliation (FPI); National Solidarity 
and War Victims (FN); and Reconstruction and Reinsertion (the tiny, 
opposition MFA party's sole ministry) being abolished.  The 
Ministry of African Integration was folded into the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Urban Sanitation was placed 
under the Ministry of Environment and Water and Forestry. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) Despite Gbagbo's stated desire to form a new government of 
technocrats with fewer ties to the political parties, his wish 
appears to be confined to opposition ministries, as those under FPI 
and FN control remain practically unchanged.  The biggest surprise 
was the sacking of two heavyweight FPI loyalists:  Emmanuel Monnet, 
former Minister of Mines and Energy, who was blamed for the 
electricity crisis and the debacle surrounding the closing of the 
 
state owned oil refinery; and Hubert Oulaye, former Minister of 
Employment and Civil Service, who had been touched by a scandal 
involving kickbacks for admission into a prestigious professional 
school. 
 
 
 
¶8.  (C)  Comment (Cont'd) The announcement of the new government 
had been delayed several times, and by issuing a decree before 
negotiations with the opposition had been finalized, the 
Presidential camp appears to have been trying to maintain forward 
momentum.  However, as the opposition has repeatedly made clear, 
they are more concerned with the composition of the CEI and a clear 
election timetable than with the makeup of what, under ideal 
circumstances, would be a short-lived, caretaker government.  The 
PM's citing of late April-early May as the target date will be 
encouraging to the opposition but should be seen as nothing more 
than an effort to project a positive approach to the issue, given 
that the CEI -- which retains responsibility for setting the date 
-- is not yet back at work. 
NESBITT