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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------