Despite the discovery of additional bodies floating in the lagoon yesterday bringing the death toll to around 200, most of whom are believed to be muslims from the north, according to sources, there appears to be an emerging consensus that the democratisation process must continue, meaning that amends to the initial selection procedure for presidential candidates be effected in time for the legislative elections. Either a constitutional amendment to Article 35 which contains the nationality clause is effected prior to the December elections or an outright declaration of the eligibility of Ouattara under the same Article. The latter seems more feasible, given the requirements for amending the Constitution, and this approach that Ouattara will insist upon since he claims that both his parents are Ivorians and thus eligible under the current Constitution. On the other hand, to seek an amendment to the Article would mean an admission that he was ineligible under the current Constitution. The meeting between Ouattara and the President Gbagbo is an implicit recognition of the RDR leader as the presidential standard bearer of his party. Thus it appears that a formal recognition is the final step in the process that Ouattara and the international community are working toward. Be it as it may, the country may be on the road to national reconciliation and eventual revitalization of a battered economy, provided all parties refrain from being intransigent and the security forces return to barracks under strict civilian control to avoid further macabre killing of innocent civilians. The international community's latest shift in emphasis should be reassuring to current investors and an encouraging development for those wishing to do business with Cote d'Ivoire. Sidi Sanneh &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& PARIS, Oct 28 (AFP) - The European Union and the United States called on Ivory Coast's new President Laurent Gbagbo to solidify the west African nation's return to democracy by ensuring fair elections in December's legislative race. In a statement by the French presidency, the EU urged Gbagbo, sworn in as Ivory Coast president on Thursday, to "guarantee the democratisation" demanded by the opposition, barred from taking part in last Sunday's presidential elections that brought Gbagbo to power. Legislative elections in Ivory Coast are set for December 10, and the EU statement said it was "essential that the process of returning to a constitutional and democratic order takes place in incontestable and verified conditions of transparency and fairness, enabling all the country's democratic forces to take part" in achieving civil peace and national cohesion. International opinion has been divided over recognising the legitimacy of the new authorities in Ivory Coast, with several leaders calling for a re-run of the presidential poll. France, the former colonial power and currently EU president, was at first virtually alone in backing Gbagbo. However, the United States, after initially calling for a re-run, has said it will work with the new president -- although President Bill Clinton's administration did officially recognize the new government. "We recognize countries, not specific governments or individuals," said State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker. "We're prepared to work with governing authorities in Cote d'Ivoire; Gbagbo was inaugurated yesterday and we will deal with him and his government." However, Reeker stressed that the United States awaited "the restoration of democracy" and issued a "call to all parties to cooperate towards that end ... that the voices of the disenfranchised be heard." The election that ushered Gbagbo into power drew less than 40 percent of Ivorian voters, who joined in an election boycott after the Supreme Court barred the vast majority of candidates from standing. "The elections were flawed from the outset because they excluded political parties," Reeker said. "It is important that the parliamentary elections take place on December 10." The chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema, said if Ivorians accept Gbagbo's new government, "we must join them." "What we want is to avoid bloodletting. That must end, and Ivorians must fraternally return to working hand in hand to develop country," Eyadema said in Paris, where he was meeting with French President Jacques Chirac. "Ivory Coast doesn't affect only Ivorians, it affects the entire sub-region" because of its economic influence, he said. France's former prime minister Alain Juppe warned that if Ivory Coast fell into a long-running conflict, it would be catastrophic. "They must do everything today to lower the temperatures and bring the main players back to the table," Juppe said. "Find a rule to the game that will allow the organization of (legislative) elections, that's the way to go," he added. bur/gs/gj _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. 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