US says free and fair election in Ivory Coast "impossible"

   WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (AFP) - The United States said Thursday that holding a
free and fair election in Ivory Coast under the current conditions was
"impossible" and said the result of this weekend's presidential poll would
not
reflect the will of the Ivorian people.
   State Department spokesman Richard Boucher noted that United States,
along
with other countries and international organizations had suspended their
assistance and withdrawn observers, saying that such assistance depended on
Sunday's election being "free, fair and inclusive."
   "Recent events have rendered such a process impossible in the Ivory
Coast,"
Boucher told reporters.
   "It goes without saying that we don't see the whole process shaping up to
be free, fair and inclusive," he said in reference to a decision by the
country's Supreme Court to disqualify 14 of 19 presidential candidates.
   The ruling left only two serious contenders for the presidency: the
country's military ruler, General Robert Guei, who took power in a December
coup, and Laurent Gbagbo of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI).
   Washington has repeatedly said that Guei is not an appropriate candidate
because he came to power by overthrowing a democratically elected government
and as such a leader cannot be counted on to oversee a free election.
   "We don't consider this whole process as looking free, fair and
inclusive,"
Boucher said. "And I think that's pretty clear that we don't see the results
as a valid reflection of the expression of the desires and will of the
Ivorian
people."
   Earlier Thursday, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) said it had
decided not to send observers to the election because of the conditions.
   "In view of the evolution of the situation in the country and the
circumstances in which the elections will be held, the OAU will not be in a
position to send observers to monitor them," the group said in a statement
from Addis Ababa.
   On Wednesday, the United Nations said that it would not carry through on
plans to coordinate international observers for the poll for the same
reason.
   mvl/mdl

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