Russ Feingold: “I rise to comment on the alarming situation in the Ivory Coast. When General Robert Guei seized power in a coup last…”

“I rise to comment on the alarming situation in the Ivory Coast. When General Robert Guei seized power in a coup last December, he indicated that he intended to hand over power to a civilian government quickly. Instead, and despite the urging of distinguished African heads of state from South Africa, Nigeria, and Senegal, Guei has chosen to run for President from his position of illegitimate authority, in which he can manipulate his own chances of electoral success. Last Friday, the Ivory Coast's Supreme Court issued a ruling barring all but five of twenty candidates seeking to run in Presidential elections slated for later this month. The ruling disqualified popular opposition leaders, most notably Former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, and the former ruling party's candidate, Emile Constant Bombey. Notably, Guei's former legal advisor is now serving as the court's chief. The upcoming elections are looking more and more like political farce, and General Guei's credibility is in tatters. Leading up to the Court's ruling, the General Guei's government took actions clearly intended to intimidate the opposition, instituting a state of emergency, banning opposition politicians from international travel, and executing sweeps to round up immigrants who have consistently supported elements of the opposition. The junta that claimed it stepped into power to save the country now appears committed to a course of destruction.”