By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 3, updated -- As in Cote d'Ivoire the Laurent Gbagbo dominated Constitutional Council threw out the voting results announced yesterday by the Electoral Commission, sources in the UN told Inner City Press on Friday morning that the Security Council would have an emergency session.
Immediately running to the Council, UN interpreters were seen assembling. But an e-mail request for confirmation sent before noon to this month's Council presidency, the US Mission to the UN, had been not returned as of 1 pm.
A Tribunal prosecutor who was supposed to meet Friday morning with French Ambassador Gerard Araud told Inner City Press that meeting had been canceled, “for this.” With this and other confirmations, the meeting was reported on Twitter @InnerCityPress (click for updates)
A diplomat from the Cote d'Ivoire Mission to the UN came to the Council stakeout, and pitched to Inner City Press the view that the voting in the North of Cote d'Ivoire had been “rigged by the Forces Nouvelles” rebels.
With the meeting still not starting, reportedly until 3 pm, Inner City Press ran to the UN's noon briefing to ask UN Spokeperson Martin Nesirky what the role of UNOCI and SRSG Choi had been in the North of Cote d'Ivoire. The question was not directly answered.
Update of 2:25 pm -- with SRSG Choi having belatedly (and long windedly) issued the UN's count, that “Candidate Ouattara is the winner,” the new buzz, from multiple sources, is that no in-person Security Council meeting will be held. Rather, a press statement (or even just “elements to the press”) is being circulated to Council members, and may soon be issued. This requires read-out on camera at the Security Council stake out - and SHOULD require some Q&A. Watch this site.
Update of 3:57 pm -- now the Gbabgo administration has threatened to throw Mr. Choi (and ONUCI?) out of the country...
Some ask, what message did the Security Council's failure to meet send? And, why DIDN'T the Council meet earlier today?
On November 30, Inner City Press had asked UN acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq:
Inner City Press: Côte d'Ivoire. There is a report that an associate of President [Laurent] Gbagbo has asked SRSG [Special Representative] Choi [Young-jin] for some kind of -- I don’t know if it’s within the power of Mr. Choi — but for a recount. Has somehow expressed an intention to challenge the results from three regions of Côte d'Ivoire on Sunday’s election? Is that something that the UN can confirm, and what does it think of that request, if it is aware of it, by Mr. Gbagbo?
Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: Well, in terms of rumours, we’re aware that there have been a number of rumours, including ones that we believe have been spread to cause panic or unrest in the area. At this stage, as you know, no results have been announced. We would note that several rumours are deviating attention from serious matters. It would be the role of the UN mission, ONUCI, to confirm those as they come up. But at this stage, what I want to point out is, I’d like to stress the points made by the Secretary-General in his statement yesterday afternoon, where he did urge the candidates and parties to abide by the law in the resolution of any disputes related to the electoral process.
And the Secretary-General stresses that any disruption in the electoral process would not be in the interest of the people of Côte d’Ivoire, who have waited many years to reach a successful conclusion to the crisis, of which these elections are a critical step.
Inner City Press: The other day Mr. Choi met with the -- I will dig up his name — but with this close associate of Mr. Gbagbo. I just want factually, not rumour or not, has this meeting taken place?
Acting Deputy Spokesperson: Mr. Choi is meeting with a number of officials as his work progresses. And as we made clear yesterday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Choi Young-jin, will continue, in the context of his certification mandate, all his efforts to safeguard the electoral process so that the will of the Ivorian people will be respected. The United Nations will provide its full support to the completion of the electoral operations and to the Ivorian peace process as a whole.
Then on December 2, Inner City Press asked:
Inner City Press: On Côte d’Ivoire...I’d like you to confirm that the head of the elections commission actually asked two Member States in the Security Council for ONUCI protection to leave the country and that somehow ONUCI said this request, until it was made directly to it, wouldn’t be fulfilled. It’s something that’s been reported to people inside the Council. And the question is whether ONUCI was aware of a request by the head of the elections commission for ONUCI protection to leave the country and, if so, what ONUCI’s reaction was.
Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: As far as that goes, no, I wouldn’t confirm any of these specific discussions. What I will say is that ONUCI is providing protection to the head of the Independent Electoral Commission, and so, he is receiving protection, as are other people.
We'll see -- watch this site.