ABIDJAN, Feb 26 (AFP) - Ivory Coast's prime minister, Pascal Affi
N'Guessan, launched a fresh appeal for a "political truce" Monday to end
the
turmoil in this politically-fragile west African country.
   "The truce which we invite political parties to effect will allow us to
mobilise all our energy to address numerous issues at stake," he told
members
of the country's parties at a meeting here.
   Earlier this month, Affi N'Guessan called for "a one-year social and
political truce", saying that the country was suffering from an acute
economic
crisis following recent political problems.
   Ivory Coast, once a bastion of relative stability in west Africa, has
been
gripped by political turmoil for more than a year-and-a-half in part over
attempts by successive regimes to stop main opposition leader Alassane
Ouattara from standing in polls.
   Ouattara's Rally of Republicans (RDR) party has imposed several
conditions
if it were to accept the government truce offer including an end to what it
calls "Stalinist" repression on the opposition.
   The RDR has called for the immediate release of political detainees,
and
called on the government to explain a series of rapes and killings,
including
a mass grave containing the bodies of RDR supporters discovered in October
in
a working class district of Abidjan.
   The opposition party says more than 300 of its supporters were killed
following presidential and legislative elections last year.
   Robert Gbai Tagro from the Republican Party of Ivory Coast (PRCI) said
on
Monday that if the truce were to be successful "the rehabilitation and the
legitimisation of Ouattara at the head of the RDR" was vital.
   Last year, Ivory Coast's High Court controversially banned Ouattara from
standing in polls on the ground that he could not prove he was Ivorian.
   The decision was based on suggestions that he came from neighbouring
Burkina Faso.
   Affi N'Guessan did not respond directly to the plea to allow Ouattara to
stand from the northern constituency of Kong, a family stronghold, in
upcoming
legislative and municipal elections.
   However he said he was ready "to take note of all suggestions."
   Among the major parties present, only the Ivorian Popular Front of
President Laurent Gbagbo responded to the prime minister's appeal for a
truce.
The RDR and the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI) did not air their
views
at the forum.

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