Cote d' Ivoire to Hold Referendum on Constitution

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Cote d' Ivoire to Hold Referendum on Constitution

President of Cote d' Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo Tuesday declared that he is willing to hold a referendum on the country's constitution.

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President of Cote d' Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo Tuesday declared that he is willing to hold a referendum on the country's constitution.

"I am going to hold a referendum to ask the people, do you wantto change the constitution, yes or no?" Gbagbo told his countrymenvia state television.

The referendum is expected to take place next year, the president said.

Gbagbo's latest action indicated that he is ready to meet one of the demands of rebels, who have been asking for a review of theconstitution adopted two years ago as well as his departure and fresh elections.

In Togo, the rebels have submitted new proposals to west African mediators trying to end the two-month deadlock with the government.

Peace talks have been taking place in Togo for more than two weeks, but little progress has been made.

The proposals are a reaction to the peace plan released last week by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which makes provision for territorial integrity and respect for the constitution.

The situation in the cocoa-producing country is getting subtle as the rebels last week rejected the ECOWAS peace proposals because of what they declared as favoring the government of President Gbagbo.

The Sept. 19 uprising, which plunged Cote d' Ivoire into its worst crisis since its independence from France in 1960, has claimed hundreds of lives and left tens of thousands of people homeless.

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