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UN grants Ivorian PM broad powers Ivorian leader hails UN 'victory'
(1 day later)
The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to extend for one year the mandate of Ivory Coast's interim government, which expired on Tuesday. President Laurent Gbagbo has welcomed the latest UN move on Ivory Coast as "a glorious victory".
The French-sponsored resolution increases Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny's role at the expense of President Laurent Gbagbo. The BBC's James Copnall says this is because the UN resolution recognises the supremacy of the constitution, which his critics want to suspend.
It gives Mr Banny's sweeping powers to try to re-unite the war-divided nation and to hold elections in 2007. The resolution take some powers from the president and gives them to the prime minister, in an attempt to end Ivory Coast's political deadlock.
Rebels have held the north of the country since the civil war in 2002. Many diplomats accuse Mr Gbagbo of trying to block peace efforts.
They insist President Gbagbo should step down. Rebels have controlled the north since 2002 and elections, due in October 2004, have twice been postponed.
The Ivorian armed forces deployed in large numbers throughout Abidjan on Tuesday to ward off any potential trouble. Watered down
Delayed vote UN Security Council resolution 1721 extended the mandate of both President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny for another year.
The UN Security Council delayed a vote on Tuesday because several members voiced their concern that an earlier draft resolution would give the unelected Mr Banny too much powers. We rejoice for ourselves, but also for all countries in the world who hold freedom dear President Laurent Gbagbo Mr Banny was appointed last year as a neutral figure, tasked with organising elections, but some observers feel Mr Gbagbo has stopped him from doing his job, often by referring to the president's powers as defined by the constitution.
Critics had said the document saying that the council was considering imposing regime change on the West African nation. Our correspondent says the final version was watered down from earlier drafts, which envisaged the prime minister making key military and civilian appointments.
But the council approved the resolution after France dropped language specifying that Mr Banny would have powers to appoint civilian and military officials and requiring him to sign all ordinances and decrees, according to the Associated Press news agency. Mr Gbagbo's supporters had said the earlier draft would have meant the UN was imposing regime change on Ivory Coast.
France is insisting that the new resolution would be more important than the Ivorian constitution. "The members of the security council rejected the possibility of making the constitution of any state subordinate to a decision made by an international organisation, even the UN," the president said in a televised address to the nation.
But President Gbagbo has frequently used the constitution to hold onto office and, according to many observers, block the peace process. "We rejoice for ourselves, but also for all countries in the world who hold freedom dear," Mr Gbagbo said.
France, which sponsored the resolution, had insisted that the new resolution would be more important than the Ivorian constitution.
Warning
The president made almost no direct mention of the new powers granted to the prime minister.
However these powers do not appear in the constitution.
Our correspondent says President Gbagbo made reference to the constitution on numerous occasions, hinting that he would not turn over his powers lightly.
But if the president does not accept losing some of his powers to the prime minister, he would be going against the majority of the resolution, our correspondent says.
Mr Gbagbo also warned Ivorian against taking to the streets to protest at the resolution.
President Gbagbo's opponents will take that as a threat to their supporters, should they attempt to demonstrate, our reporter says.
In March 2004, more than 120 opposition supporters were killed by the Ivorian security forces as they attempted to take part in a banned march.
The Ivorian armed forces have deployed in large numbers throughout the main city, Abidjan, to ward off any potential trouble.
There are more than 10,000 French and UN troops in Ivory Coast, most patrolling the ceasefire line between the northern and southern parts of the country.There are more than 10,000 French and UN troops in Ivory Coast, most patrolling the ceasefire line between the northern and southern parts of the country.
But plans announced last October to disarm militias and carry out a census of the country's population have failed to get off the ground. But plans announced last October to disarm militias and carry out a population census to prepare for elections have failed to get off the ground.