Gbagbo slams West African bank governor's 'forced' resignation

Ivory Coast's incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo has rejected a move to replace the governor of the West African regional central bank, who was forced to step down Saturday after failing to cut off funds to the Ivorian leader.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - West African leaders have piled pressure on Ivory Coast's defiant strongman Laurent Gbagbo by forcing the resignation of a key ally in a regional bank who ensured the troubled leader's cash supply.

In a further blow, they asked Alassane Ouattara, recognised by the world as the winner of November 28 presidential elections, to name a new governor of the region's central bank.

Leaders gathered in Mali for a meeting of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) made their offer to Ouattara after Philippe-Henry Dacoury-Tabley resigned as governor of the Central Bank of West African States.

The bank comprises former French colonies who share a common currency, the CFA franc.

Dacoury-Tabley, an Ivorian, is close to Gbagbo, who has refused to step down following the elections.

Dacoury-Tabley had himself presented his resignation, said a statement issued at the end of a WAEMU summit meeting Saturday.

The meeting criticised his failure to implement a decision taken in December by finance ministers from the bank's seven other member states to give Ouattara control of Ivory Coast's assets lodged with the bank.

Since that decision, the bank has paid out between 60 and 100 billion CFA francs (91-152 million euros, $124-$206 million) to the Gbagbo regime.

"It's for very technical reasons that we were not able to implement the heads of states' decisions," Dacoury-Tabley told journalists in Bamako. "That's what I tried to explain to them."

But his position became untenable after reports emerged Friday that the European Union was about to impose sanctions against him, including an EU assets freeze and travel ban, because of the payments to Gbagbo.

Denis N'Gbe, head of the Abidjan branch of the bank, was also to be targetted, said a Brussels-based diplomat.

Gbagbo's government immediately slammed the decision.

In comments broadcast on state television, still controlled by Gbagbo, his administration said it "rejected" what it said was the "forced resignation of Philippe-Henry Dacoury-Tabley," and urged the "population, the economic operators and financiers," not to panic.

"All measures have been taken to ensure the smooth functioning of the Ivorian banking system," the statement said.

Ouattara has been holed up in an Abidjan hotel where he and his supporters are paying their expenses with help from other countries and savings.

The events in Bamako further cemented Ouattara's position -- and it was Guillaume Soro, Ouattara's prime minister, who represented Ivory Coast at the Union's meeting rather than anyone from the Gbagbo camp.

The WAEMU statement called on Gbagbo to recognise Ouattara's victory in the November election and stand aside.

For diplomats and politicians, cutting the purse strings that have enabled to Gbagbo to defy the international community for so long is crucial to increasing the pressure on him.

It is part of an international campaign to force him from power without resorting to a military intervention, which many observers fear could push the country into civil war.

France, Ivory Coast's former colonial ruler, meanwhile rejected an announcement Saturday by Gbagbo's administration that it had cancelled the accreditation of its ambassador.

The Gbagbo side acted after receiving a verbal note from Paris saying it had accredited Ali Coulibaly, Ouattara's pick as Ivory Coast's envoy to France.

A French foreign ministry statement said the move by Gbagbo was "devoid of any legal standing."

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened military intervention to dislodge Gbagbo, with Nigerian junior foreign minister Salamatu Suleiman saying Friday such intervention appeared to be "the only option".

But Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the African Union envoy in the crisis, warned Friday that it was "absolutely the last resort" and should be avoided if at all possible.

Protesters demand release of Yemeni activist

Yemeni students march through the streets of the Yemeni capital Sanaa on January 16, urging Arabs to rise up against their leaders in the wake of Tunisia's President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's ouster. In fresh protests about 200 journalists marched in Sanaa to demand the release of press freedom activist Tawakel Karman and other detainees, while witnesses said student protesters clashed with police.

AFP - About 200 journalists marched in Sanaa on Sunday to demand the release of press freedom activist Tawakel Karman and other detainees, while witnesses said student protesters clashed with police in the capital.

An AFP correspondent said the journalists were marching from their union office to the prosecutor's office to demand the release of those detained.

Karman, known to have been involved in pro-Tunisia revolt protests which have also seen calls for political change in Yemen, heads the rights group Women Journalists Without Chains.

Yemeni police arrested Karman in a main street in Sanaa as she headed home with her husband overnight, according to rights activists who declined to be named.

The reason for her arrest was unclear, but she is being held in Sanaa's main prison, according to her family.

A security official said the arrest stemmed from a warrant issued by prosecutors, without specifying why the warrant was issued.

"The detention of Karman is a criminal offence and an immoral act," Mohammed Qobati, a spokesman for Yemen's parliamentary opposition, said in a statement on Sunday.

Karman, a member of the central committee of the opposition Islamist Al-Islah (Reform) party, has been involved in Sanaa demonstrations in support of a popular revolt in Tunisia which led to the ousting of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The Sanaa protests were also marked by calls for political change in Yemen while there were more calls for change by dozens of students protesting outside Sanaa University on Sunday.

Witnesses said clashes broke out as security forces tried to disperse the students.

A cameraman for Al-Arabiya satellite channel who was filming the clashes was briefly detained, his station said.

And a cameraman for Al-Jazeera was beaten by police, the Qatar-based station said.

On Saturday, hundreds of Sanaa University students held rival demonstrations on campus, with some calling for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down and others for him to remain in office.

Saleh, who has been in power for decades, was re-elected in September 2006 for a seven-year mandate.

A draft amendment of the constitution, under discussion in parliament despite opposition protests, could further stretch his tenure by allowing a life-long mandate.

Uzbek coach wary of Aussies before Asian Cup semis

23 January 2011 - 11H43

Uzbekistan's coach Vadim Abramov, pictured at his team's Asian Cup quarter-final against Jordan on Friday, is wary of Australia's big-match exerience ahead of their semi-final clash.

AFP - Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov said Sunday he was wary of Australia's big-match exerience ahead of their Asian Cup semi-final clash after watching them grind down Iraq to make the last four.

Abramov was among the crowd at Al-Sadd Stadium on Saturday evening to watch Socceroo Harry Kewell score an extra-time winner to send the defending champions home.

Most of the Australian team play in Europe and the Uzbek handler said their experience made the difference against Iraq.

"I think the extensive international experience of some key Australian players helped them win the match because Iraq are a very strong team," he told the official Asian Cup website.

"The level of play was of the highest standard but the experience of individual performers was the overall crucial factor."

Abramov's team, who beat Jordan in their quarter-final, face Australia on Tuesday with the prospect of a final against either Japan or South Korea at stake.

He predicted an ultra-tough match.

"I foresee very tough opposition in the semi-final," he said, adding that striker Alexander Geynrikh and goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov were on track to full recovery after picking up minor knocks against Jordan.

Despite a lowly world ranking of just 108, Uzbekistan have been impressive in Doha, beating hosts Qatar and then Kuwait before drawing with China in the group stages.

Deal on Afghan parliament opening 'in question'

23 January 2011 - 11H52

Afghanistan's parliament members chat during a gathering in a hotel in Kabul. A deal between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and rebel lawmakers on opening the country's new parliament looked in doubt Sunday amid disagreement over a special tribunal on electoral fraud.

Afghani members of parliament gather in a hotel in Kabul on January 22. A plan for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to open a new parliament this week looked in question Sunday as an official source said his attendance was "conditional" and fresh talks with lawmakers were announced.

Speaker of Afghanistan's parliament Mohammad Younus Qanooni speaks during a gathering in a hotel in Kabul. A deal between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and rebel lawmakers on opening the country's new parliament looked in doubt Sunday amid disagreement over a special tribunal on electoral fraud.

Afghan men look as a former Afghan Member of Parliament (unseen) talks during a demonstration against the paliamentary elections results, in Kabul. A deal between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and rebel lawmakers on opening the country's new parliament looked in doubt Sunday amid disagreement over a special tribunal on electoral fraud.

AFP - A deal between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and rebel lawmakers on opening the country's new parliament looked in doubt Sunday amid disagreement over a special tribunal on electoral fraud.

It had seemed that a constitutional crisis in the war-torn country had been averted after lawmakers said late Saturday that Karzai, under heavy pressure from the West, had dropped a plan to delay parliament's opening by a month.

But now lawmakers are threatening to reject a key condition of Karzai's for opening it Wednesday instead -- that they recognise a special tribunal on fraud in September's parliamentary polls which many say is unconstitutional.

An official source, speaking anonymously, said Karzai was unlikely to open parliament Wednesday, as agreed under the deal, if the lawmakers did not promise to respect the tribunal.

The disagreement between the lawmakers and Karzai centres on the fact that the Pashtuns, Karzai's traditional power base and Afghanistan's biggest ethnic group, were left under-represented in parliament after September's elections.

The polls were hit by massive fraud -- around a quarter of the five million votes cast were thrown out and 24 early winners disqualified.

MPs fear that the tribunal will oust some of their number, paving the way for their replacement by Pashtun candidates.

"What's being said about the opening of the parliament on Wednesday, that's conditional," the official source told AFP.

Asked if Karzai will open the parliament Wednesday if the MPs fail to accept his condition over the tribunal, the source added: "I don't think so."

He continued: "The MPs said that they will accept the outcomes of the legal process that is currently underway. The president sent them to write this down, sign it and bring it back to him. So far, they have not returned."

Meanwhile, lawmaker Molawi Rahman Rahmani said a fresh round of talks between Karzai and MPs was set to be held Monday, adding that most lawmakers wanted to see the special tribunal abolished.

"The same 38 people (who held talks with the president Saturday) are going to talk to Karzai regarding the abolishing of the special tribunal," he said.

"We are going to inaugurate the parliament on Wednesday" with or without Karzai, Rahmani added, while saying he thought Karzai would "probably" be there.

Highlighting wider tensions caused by the long-running saga, up to 150 losing candidates and supporters from the September elections held a protest in Kabul against any opening of the parliament Sunday.

They want Karzai to cancel their election results and hold recounts.

One losing candidate, Najibullah Mujahid, told AFP: "This agreement is the result of pressure by drug dealers and foreign embassies.

"We don't accept it. We tell the president we support you and you, president, should follow constitutional law."

Early Sunday, around 200 out of 249 members of the Wolesi Jirga -- the lower house -- gathered in Kabul for talks after announcing Saturday that Karzai had agreed to open parliament Wednesday, a U-turn on a previous plan to delay for a month.

This averted a potential clash with MPs Sunday, the date originally slated for the inauguration, when they had planned to open parliament without Karzai in defiance of his authority.

In the wake of the deal, lawmakers were debating whether to agree that Afghanistan's Supreme Court rather than the tribunal can rule on electoral fraud, as Karzai stipulated.

They later agreed to go back for more talks with Karzai on this point.

One leading MP, Mohammad Younus Qanooni, said: "We're against the special tribunal and we only recognise the regular Supreme Court.

"We're working to convince the president to agree to scrap the electoral tribunal."

Karzai's office, which has not commented on the latest situation, announced on Wednesday it was delaying the inauguration of parliament for a month from the original date of Sunday.

That came after the head of the Supreme Court special tribunal called for a delay of at least four weeks, warning that some results could be thrown out.

In a statement on Friday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expressed "deep concern and surprise" at Karzai's plan to delay the inauguration and, along with the US, urged a swift resolution to the impasse.

International troops fighting the Pashtun-dominated Taliban are due to start limited withdrawals in July ahead of Afghan forces assuming control of security in 2014.

Japan ready for tough Asian Cup test vs S.Korea

23 January 2011 - 11H53

Japan's Makoto Hasebe (left) outjumps Saudi Arabia's Mohammed al-Shalhub during the teams' Asian Cup group match last week. Hasebe says Japan are ready for their semi-final meeting with South Korea

AFP - Three-time champions Japan have long expected to face South Korea at the Asian Cup and are ready for a tough semi-final with their old cross-strait rivals.

South Korea edged Iran 1-0 on Saturday with a 105th-minute winner from substitute Yoon Bit-Garam to book a last-four clash with the Blue Samurai, who struggled past hosts Qatar 3-2 in their quarter-final.

"We had hoped to play South Korea in the final. We have seen them as opponents we must fight at one stage," Japan captain and Wolfsburg midfielder Makoto Hasebe said Sunday.

"I think South Korea played better than Iran. I could feel the mental strength of their players. We want to prepare ourselves so we won't be outdone mentally."

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said: "It's going to be a difficult match but it's going to be a difficult match for the opponents as well."

Japan battled to a scoreless friendly draw with South Korea away in October in Zaccheroni's second match as Japan coach, after the two East Asian giants reached the World Cup last-16 in June.

"South Korea are a team with potential. They have quality players and their positioning on the pitch is great," added the former AC Milan boss, who took over from Takeshi Okada after the World Cup.

The Taeguk Warriors beat Japan twice earlier in 2010.

Algerians defy ban to protest government

From Lamia Tagzout, For CNN

January 22, 2011 -- Updated 2142 GMT (0542 HKT)

Algerian forces clash with protesters

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: 11 individuals, 8 police injured, Algeria's official news agency reports
• Security forces clashed with demonstrators in Algiers
• Protesters are demanding the government lift restrictions
• A state of emergency in place for almost two decades bans such protests

Algiers, Algeria (CNN) -- Baton-wielding Algerian security forces clashed Saturday with protesters who defied a ban and took to the streets of the capital demanding political reform.

Eleven individuals and eight policemen were injured, two seriously, the official Algerie Presse Service reported.

Police arrested nine protesters, the news service said.

Algeria's largest opposition party, Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), last week called the demonstration to demand the release of detainees, the lifting of a state of emergency that has been in place for almost two decades, and the restoration of individual and collective freedoms.

"We asked to do a march, in a legal way, but they told us: 'You are the opposition and you don't have any rights in your country,'" said Said Saadi, head of the RCD.

Algeria's opposition: We don't kneel

Saadi said the government wants Algerians to "kneel in front of them. But we don't kneel."

The government called the demonstration "small" with about 250 people and said it was "unauthorized." Security forces prevented journalists from photographing the demonstration or interviewing organizers.

Anti-government protests erupted in Algeria in early January after weeks of similar demonstrations in neighboring Tunisia that eventually ended 23 years of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's rule.

In Algeria, the protests broke out over spiraling food costs. The opposition blames the government of failing to use the north African nation's energy wealth to better the lives of ordinary people.

A law adopted in 2001 indefinitely bans all demonstrations in Algiers, according to the monitoring group Human Rights Watch. A nationwide state of emergency in effect for nearly two decades allows the government to ban any event that is "likely to disturb public order and tranquility."

Jobs will be SOTU 'main topic,' Obama tells supporters in video

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 23, 2011 -- Updated 0055 GMT (0855 HKT)

In a videotaped message to supporters, Obama also addressed the need to make government "leaner and smarter."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• President Obama sends a video to supporters previewing State of the Union
• He stresses the need to bolster the economy, boost competitiveness, create jobs
• Critics said a lack of focus on the economy were to blame for Democrats' 2010 losses
• Obama reiterated his call for bipartisanship

(CNN) -- President Obama said jobs and the economy would be central to his upcoming State of the Union address in a videotaped preview of the speech that was sent to supporters on Saturday.

"My principal focus, my number one focus, is going to be making sure that we are competitive, that we are growing, and we are creating jobs not just now but well into the future," Obama said.

The message, taped Friday, went up on YouTube and went out to backers of the Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America initiative on Saturday.

It comes three days before Obama delivers his second State of the Union, a speech that is usually the most important and well-watched address that a president gives each year.

This will be Obama's first such address since Democrats suffered a major setback in last November's elections, losses that some critics attributed to what they said was the president's lack of focus on a sluggish economy.

In his videotaped remarks, Obama acknowledged the challenging economic times, calling the past two years "as tough as anything we've gone through since the Great Depression."

He said significant progress has been made recently, claiming that more than a million jobs had been created on his watch and that the once-shrinking economy is growing again. But the president added that many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet.

The president said that, while he hadn't yet finished his State of the Union, alleviating such struggles -- and spurring the economy -- would be "the main topic" in the speech.

"I'm focused on making sure the economy is working for everybody, for the entire American family," he said.

Wearing a jacket and purple tie, Obama also addressed the need to "deal with our deficits and our debt in a responsible way" and make government "leaner and smarter." During last year's election and since, Republicans have emphasized decreasing the size of government and lowering the size of the federal budget.

Such differences notwithstanding, Obama hinted that he might also include a call for bipartisanship in Tuesday's speech, as he has in recent weeks following the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona.

"These are big challenges that are in front of us," he said. "But we're up to it, as long as we come together as a people -- Republicans, Democrats, Independents -- as long as ... we're willing to find common ground even as we're having vigorous debates.

"That's what built this country, that's what we're all about, and that's what it's going to take to win the future."