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30.11.2010 Politics

Cote d'Ivoire On Mills's Mind

By Kweku Tsen - Daily Graphic
President J.E.A. Mills left in a hearty chat with the Beninois President Yayi Boni during a photo session at Africa Union-EUSummit in the Libyan capital, TripoliPresident J.E.A. Mills (left) in a hearty chat with the Beninois President Yayi Boni during a photo session at Africa Union-EU Summit in the Libyan capital, Tripoli
30.11.2010 LISTEN

President John Evans Atta Mills has interacted with the Presidents of Togo, Mr Faure Gnassingbe, and Benin, Mr Yayi Boni, on the sidelines of the Third European Commission-African Union Summit in Tripoli and appealed to the contestants in the Cote d’Ivoire presidential run-off to accept the outcome of the poll.

He explained that since there was bound to be a winner and a loser in every election, the contestants were obliged to accept the verdict of the people expressed through the ballot box.

According to him, the peaceful conduct of the poll in Cote d'Ivoire was an indication that the people were tired of civil conflicts and were prepared to put the past behind them in anticipation of a better and glorious future.


President Mills likened the Cote d'Ivoire election to the 2008 general election in Ghana which was highly contested and advised that the candidates should consider the interest of the people first before their personal ambitions and accept the election results announced by the Electoral Commission of that country.

He said since elections were not a do-or-die affair but intended to elect people to shape the social and economic destiny of the larger population, the main contestants in the poll, President Laurent Gbagbo and Mr Alhasane Ouattara, should gracefully accept the outcome of the run-off.

President Mills expressed optimism that Cote d'Ivoire would come out of the election stronger to assume its rightful place as a major player in the comity of nations in the West African sub-region and on the African continent.

He reminded the contestants of the damage that the civil conflicts had done to the nation and the polarisation that it had brought about among the people, stressing, 'The two contestants must restrain themselves and allow the verdict of the people to prevail.'


President Mills implored the two contestants not to play into the hands of detractors in their country but strive to rise above the occasion by accepting the outcome of the election.

He said Ghana would do whatever it took to support the people of Cote d’Ivoire in this critical moment in its history, since the two countries had so much in common.

The President also urged all Presidents in the sub-region to impress on the contestants not to do anything which would undermine efforts made at restoring democracy and constitutional rule in Cote d'Ivoire.

President Mills called for more fruitful discussions among leaders in the sub-region to find lasting solutions to the political, ethnic and economic problems undermining the development of their respective countries.

President Gnassingbe and President Boni agreed with the concerns raised by President Mills and they too resolved to put pressure on President Gbagbo and Mr Ouattara to respect the wishes of the people which they would express via the poll.

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