Gbagbo addresses Ivorian nation

Laurent Gbagbo speaks on TV: 'Is that OK?'

Ivory Coast's socialist leader Laurent Gbagbo said in a radio and TV address on Wednesday that Ivorians could not accept what he referred to as "this electoral coup d'etat" by General Robert Guei.

He thanked the armed forces, as well as the thousands of people who turned out to support him, and pledged to work for national reconciliation.

Mr Gbagbo, who was presented as "the first President of the Second Republic", said he would set up a new government as a matter of urgency.

The text of his remarks:

Ivorians, dear compatriots: As I am speaking to you now, our country, Ivory Coast, is going through the final episode of the delicate and difficult political transition brought about by the 24 December 1999 coup d'etat [ed: which brought General Guei to power]. There was the need to get out of this exceptional regime. For that reason, we designed a five-point programme to take us out of the crisis:

[First] Setting-up of a transitional government. The Ivorian Popular Front [FPI], my party, decided to support the transition and to be part of the government in order to speed up the end of the crisis. I want to pay tribute to our ministers who worked in that government. They were loyal to their party and to their ideals. They were loyal to the head of state.

Ivory Coast could not accept this electoral coup d'etat. That is why I appealed to you to resist

Laurent Gbagbo

Second, the drafting of a constitution; third the adoption of the constitution by a referendum; fourth, presidential election; and fifth and last, the election of a parliament.

These are the five points that we worked out in order to lead us out of the crisis.

We formed the transitional government, drafted the constitution of the Second Republic, and adopted it by a referendum. The sovereign people adopted the referendum by over 86%. The presidential election, which must mark the return to a normal constitutional life, was held in calm, transparency, and tranquillity all over the national territory.

'Electoral rout'

Until 23 October at 1500, the partial results released by the National Electoral Commission [CNE] put me well in the lead, with 59.3% of the votes cast. Meanwhile, our own figures worked out on the basis of the written reports coming in from the polling stations in a higher number of electoral constituencies credited me with 62% of the votes.

In the face of this electoral rout, which constitutes a scathing disavowal by the people, General Robert Guei had no other recourse but to order the suspension of the vote counting exercise, and finally to dissolve the CNE, despite all the assurances I gave him for an honourable withdrawal for himself, his aides, and his family.

Ivory Coast could not accept this electoral coup d'etat. That is why I appealed to you to resist.

Gratitude

I thank you for spontaneously and massively heeding my appeal. You came out in hundreds of thousands into the streets all over the national territory to ensure that right will prevail over might.

I urge the National Electoral Commission to proclaim the official [election] results

Laurent Gbagbo

I bow respectfully to the memory of the dead, those who lost their lives as a result of General Guei's barbarous order to shoot. In due course, we will hold worthy funerals for the martyrs and national heroes - our comrades and friends who lost their lives in the struggle. I bow in honour of the wounded, whom I will visit as soon as circumstances permit.

I want to pay a particular tribute to our National Armed Forces --the Gendarmerie, the Police Force - who decided to uphold the cause of democracy and of the Republic by siding with us. Loyal to our democratic and republican principles, I hereby urge the National Electoral Commission - the constitutional body - to proclaim the official results so that the inauguration process can start.

I commend CNE Chairman Honoure Guie and all his aides. I assure them that they will be cleansed of the stain inflicted on them by a number of soldiers.

Urgent decisions

The current situation calls for urgent decisions, particularly the setting up of a government. I am going to see to that in the upcoming hours.

I assure the international community of Ivory Coast's willingness to respect its international commitments. I hereby make the solemn commitment before you, people of Ivory Coast, to work towards bringing Ivorians together and towards national reconciliation.

Long live democracy! Long live Ivory Coast! Long live the Second Republic.

[applause - Mr Gbagbo heard saying off mike: "Is that OK?"]

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.