ICoast-politics I Coast opposition leader accuses govt of intimidation, dictatorship PARIS, Sept 20 (AFP) - Leading Ivorian opposition figure Alassane Ouattara has accused the military government of intimidation and dictatorship ahead of presidential elections due next month, a French newspaper reported Wednesday. "This is a regime that curtails freedom of expression, of association," Ouattara, a presidential hopeful in October 22 polls, said in an interview with the daily Liberation. "I have not been able to leave the country for nine months...." said the politician, who is suspected by military authorities of being behind an alleged assassination attempt Monday on the head of Ivory Coast's junta, General Robert Guei. Guei is also running for president. During the interview, Ouattara accused the regime of being a "dictatorship", echoing recent comments he made on French radio. Ivory Coast, once a bastion of political and economic stability, is now festering with unrest. Increasing ethnic divisions, a surprise coup in December and at least three military uprisings against the junta since then have exacerbated tensions and caused investment and foreign aid to dry up. Ouattara, a former prime minister, is at the centre of a bitter nationality debate. His opponents claim he is not Ivorian but Burkinabe, and that he has used Burkinabe citizenship to further his career. Following an interview Friday with Radio France International, Ouattara said the army arrived at his home in Abidjan in "three armoured vehicles." The soldiers, he said, were armed with rocket launchers and stayed for about 40 minutes, as a "measure of intimidation." Guei meanwhile gave a vitriolic speech against Ouattara, and vowed to take severe action against him. Ouattara has accused Guei -- who escaped the alleged assassination attempt unharmed on Monday -- of using the same tactics against his opponents as ousted president Henri Konan Bedie. "Today, General Guei, as Bedie did before, is trying to fabricate something against me so that I cannot run (in polls). Unfortunately for them, despite all these lies, I am still in a position to win the election," said Ouattara, leader of the Rally of Republicans party. In July, in a move seen as a direct attack against Ouattara, the junta passed a referendum tightening eligibility requirements for candidates, saying that both parents of candidates had to be Ivorian and no candidate should have availed himself of any other nationality. The Constitutional Court is due to rule on the eligibility issue on October 7. Ouattara said Guei's decision to name one of his former top advisors to the Supreme Court, meant that he was trying to eliminate heavy contenders from the high-stakes vote. jlr/nb ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------