Gbagbo names cabinet
Despite
international calls for him to step down, Cote d’Ivoire’s controversial
President Laurent Gbagbo yesterday named a new cabinet, omitting from
the list his rival for the presidency, Alassane Ouattara.
Charles Koffi Diby,
who handled talks on $3 billion debt relief with the IMF and World
Bank, has been widely praised for managing the nation’s economy but he
is not in the cabinet either. There are speculations that Mr Ouattara,
who says he won a disputed November 28 poll, had persuaded one of the
few internationally known members of Mr Gbagbo’s team onto his side.
However, Mr Diby failed to turn up at the first meeting of the parallel cabinet on Monday.
Mr Ouattara has
been recognised as president by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S.
President Barack Obama and others, while Mr Gbagbo retains control of
the army and has dismissed calls to stand down as outside interference.
Mr Gbagbo gave the
finance and economy portfolio to Desire Dallo, former managing director
of San Pedro port, according to a list handed out at the first meeting
of the new cabinet.
Mr Gbagbo’s former
prime minister Guillaume Soro has already switched sides to Ouattara,
replaced by Gilbert Aka, a university boss and longtime Gbagbo ally
unknown to many Ivorians.
Ble Goude, leader of pro-Gbagbo militia, the Young Patriots, was named his youth and employment minister.
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