Ivorians pushed to accept new PM

By James Copnall
BBC, Abidjan

The rebels are insisting on providing the new PM

The presidents of Nigeria, South Africa and Niger have arrived in Ivory Coast in the latest effort to drag the country towards peace.

Ivory Coast has been split in two since the New Forces rebels seized the north of the country three years ago.

The leaders will try to find a new prime minister acceptable to all sides, which has so far proved impossible.

The UN decided that the new PM, with reinforced powers, should organise free and fair elections.

Shortlist

Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Mamadou Tandja of Niger and Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo are in Abidjan to try and settle Ivorian politics' burning question.

Presidential elections were not held on the scheduled date of 30 October because the country is still divided, full of militias and because electoral rolls have not been updated.

The UN said President Laurent Gbagbo should stay in office, but insisted a new PM with all necessary powers should be named.

President Obasanjo visited Ivory Coast at the beginning of the month to sound out all sides on who they thought should fill the role.

There is now a shortlist of four, but choosing a final name will be difficult.

The New Forces rebels insist one of their leaders should be the new PM.

President Gbagbo's camp is unlikely to agree.

There is also uncertainty about just how much power the new PM will have.

The three visiting heads of state will meet President Gbagbo and the armed and unarmed opposition as they try to balance this difficult equation.