madam president the situation in côte d ivoire is very precarious as lives are at risk the lives of ivorian citizens but also of many europeans who are living and working in the country
i believe important issues are at stake not only the role which côte d ivoire plays in africa but also the vast work done by the international community over the past ten years to support crisis resolution and enhance stability
presidential elections have been due for several years
in the end it is a credit to the ivorian people to the work of the united nations with the support of the international community and in particular i must say to the european union and the facilitator president blaise compaore of burkina faso that these elections could finally take place
all candidates had agreed beforehand the ground rules of the election
these included a special role for the un secretary-general's special representative mr choi in certifying the election results
a european electoral observation mission was sent to the country headed by mr cristian preda mep
i thank him for his work and i believe he will be speaking shortly
it concluded that the elections were held in democratic conditions
i do thank and congratulate mr preda and his team for their courage as well as their excellent work carried out in difficult circumstances
the results were proclaimed by the independent electoral commission and certified by the special representative of the un secretary-general
president barroso and i were among the first to congratulate president ouattara on his victory
the international community has been unanimous in recognising him
ecowas and the african union have been crystal clear in their message
mr ouattara is the legitimate president of côte d ivoire
on three december the acp-eu parliamentary assembly was equally unambiguous in its declaration
we are calling on all political forces in côte d ivoire to respect the electoral outcome to show responsibility and to refrain from any act of violence
all efforts should now be focused on the achievement of a peaceful transfer of power
un resolutions provide for targeted measures against those who obstruct the peaceful transition and the elections
african bodies have already resorted to sanctions on côte d ivoire
the eu is ready to assume its responsibilities regarding targeted measures and we have clearly said so this week in the council with the eu foreign ministers but we are also prepared to take measures to support the legally elected authorities
the developments in côte d ivoire are being followed closely by many actors and by public opinion particularly in africa and especially in neighbouring countries many of which are also in a post-conflict situation and undergoing difficult democratic transition
the outcome of the present constitutional crisis in côte d ivoire will send a strong signal to all forces on the african continent both those in favour of democracy and those who are against
the response of the european union to this crisis is vital
as a major player in the international community our role will be enhanced and our credibility as a global champion of democracy improved if our action can contribute to a peaceful handover of power in accordance with the will of the people of côte d ivoire clearly expressed in free and fair elections
