"POLITICS AND ECONOMY IN THE "IVORY COAST": "FROM OLIGARCHY TO A HIGHER SCALE OF RAMPANT CORRUPTION"!

Le 26 juillet 2012 par IVOIREBUSINESS - The main shortcomings of the post independence african states today are fundamentally lack of government capacity, nepotism, tribalism and rampant

corruption!To some extent, rampant tribalism leads increasingly to an african peculiar oligarchy: That's the case of the current ivorian political set up right now! ("SPOTLIGHT ON THE BACKGROUND OF AN OLIGARCHY"): Basically, oligarchic tendencies are most marked in the african post independence politics, because the very uneven distribution of political resources. Meanwhile, oligarchy means the rule of a few: As a result, a tiny elite dominates political life and the mass of population is inactive due to joblessness rate sometimes! In the same trend, elections, if they are held, are made by the new wealth andc influence. To be sure, there are quarrels and conflicts among the oligarchs: between "old" and "new" wealth, between landowners and the urban bourgeoisie, for instance. But the ordinary people are not involved and neither are their interests reflected in these conflicts. They are indeed kept at bay, by ignorance, by defense, and if necessary by repression. Let's come to the facts in the current ivorian political lanscape: Current ivorian head of state, "ALASSANE OUATTARA" junior brother and his wife, a few ministers and people close to the regime were being given specific licenses and bribes behind closed doors, and are also shareholders in a few ivorian companies! Meanwhile, they even consider to some extent the national ivorian treasure their own indirectly:Two months ago, the wife of "DANIEL Gnagni", ivorian top ranking official in charge of the oil and gas resources field, spent almost one month in "PARIS", where she spent barely (2000 euros weekly) in a hotel appartment close to (GARE DE LYON-PARIS). As far as our credible sources are concerned, "Daniel GNAGNI's son has been hospitalized at that time in a higher standing clinic in PARIS! The controversy goes on when the ivorian oil resources seem to be run without any transparency grounds and ethics right now... Furthermore, the international organization called (international transparency) has classified the "Ivory COAST" among the worst african states, glamorizing corruption and bribes! So is another international organization called: ("Doing business") on transparency grounds in the "Ivory COAST". Down the line, lots of potential investors who came to explore recently the ivorian market went back home on tip toe... In consequence, rampant corruption and the bad business atmosphere and background are increasingly becoming an embarassment to the ivorian regime's main ally (USA): the US government has officially advised 6 months ago his fellow americans against travelling to the "IVORY Coast", as a result! What will come next? Nobody can predict it in the "IVORY Coast"... Only GOD KNOWS!

(Yves T Bouazo)