European Parliament resolution on Côte d'Ivoire
Date: 2000-12-14
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Côte d'Ivoire, democratisation, election, ethnic discrimination, legitimacy, political violence

17.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 232/357

Thursday 14 December 2000

21. Côte d’Ivoire

B5-0906, 0912, 0919, 0927 and 0934/2000

European Parliament resolution on Côte d’Ivoire

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to its previous resolutions on Côte d’Ivoire,

(cid:1) having regard to the terms of the consultations on the EU-ACP Convention in the first half of 2000,

A. deeply concerned at the resumption of violence in Côte d’Ivoire in the run-up to the legislative elec-
tions of 10 December 2000, which caused several deaths in clashes between security forces and sup-
porters of the opposition Rally of the Republicans,

B. whereas the legislative elections were held on 10 December without the participation of the voters in
the Northern regions and without international observers, from either the UN, the OAU or the Eur-
opean Union,

C. whereas turnout was low across the country and polling was abandoned in 32 constituencies in the

Muslim north of the country,

D. having regard to the decision of the National Electoral Commission to declare Mr Ouattara eligible,

E.

regretting the decision of the Côte d’Ivoire Supreme Court which on grounds of ‘doubtful nationality’
rejected the candidature of Mr Alassane Ouattara, leader of the Rally of the Republicans,

F. whereas over 30 % of the 15 million population have their origins in the north of the country, and
ignoring this fact would mean excluding a section of the population from the electoral process,

G. having regard to the proposal by the Mediation Committee for National Reconciliation to put back the

date of the elections to allow time for a legal solution to the crisis,

H. deeply concerned at the exacerbation of the debate on Ivorian identity and its exploitation by certain
political forces and parts of the Côte d’Ivoire media which is threatening political stability and national
unity,

Deplores the decision of the Côte d’Ivoire Supreme Court, which was installed by the military junta,
1.
to bar Mr Ouattara from standing in the legislative elections, thus excluding part of the population from
the electoral process;

Regrets the fact that the elected President did not question the authority of this body which was

2.
appointed in its entirety by a general involved in the coup;

Deplores the exclusion of Mr. Ouattara from the legislative elections and as a result considers that

3.
these elections lack democratic legitimacy;

4.
Strongly condemns the recent violence and killings in the run-up to the 10 December legislative
elections and calls for a thorough and independent investigation so that those responsible may be brought
to justice;

5.

Calls for the immediate release of the leaders of the RDR;

Expresses its alarm at, and its condemnation of, the explosion of xenophobia triggered by the debate

6.
on Ivorian identity and all use of force to settle political differences;

C 232/358

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

17.8.2001

Thursday 14 December 2000

Calls on the leaders now in power to seek a political and democratic solution to the current crisis by

7.
taking into account the overall balance of political forces in the country;

Urges the Ivorian authorities to organise new elections as soon as possible, without exclusion of
8.
candidates on ethnic grounds, in order to restore the democratic legitimacy of the institutions and a cli-
mate of national cohesion, reconciliation and peace, in which all communities have their place;

Believes that human, political and civil rights and the right to political pluralism are fundamental

9.
rights allowing voters to have a real choice of candidates;

10.
Calls on the Council and Commission immediately to review EU cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire and
at all events to open immediate consultations with its Government, according to the procedure pursuant to
Article 96 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, in order to jointly agree a timetable for the return to
democracy;

Calls on the Commission to continue the EU assistance directly provided by NGOs to the most

11.
vulnerable sectors of the population;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Côte d’Ivoire

12.
Government, the Secretary-General of the OAU and the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly.

22. Guidelines for innovative ERDF measures

A5-0354/2000

European Parliament resolution on the Commission’s draft communication to the Member States
‘The regions in the new economy’ 3 Guidelines for innovative measures under the ERDF in the
period 2000-2006 (C5-0572/2000 3 2000/2270(COS))

The European Parliament

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission communication (C5-0572/2000),

(cid:1) having regard to Articles 158 and 159 of the EC Treaty,

(cid:1) having regard to the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of March 2000,

(cid:1) having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 (1) laying down general

provisions on the Structural Funds, particularly Articles 22 and 23 thereof,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolutions of 19 November 1998 (2) and 6 May 1999 (3) on the regulation laying

down general provisions on the Structural Funds,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2000 (4) on the Commission communication on the

guidelines for programmes in the period 2000-2006,

(cid:1) having regard to the code of conduct on the implementation of structural policies by the Commission

on which the European Parliament and the Commission agreed on 6 May 1999 (5),

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 379, 7.12.1998, p. 164.
(3) OJ C 279, 1.10.1999, p. 292.
(4) OJ C 304, 24.10.2000, p. 57.
(5) OJ C 279, 1.10.1999, p. 488.