By John Okeke
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Dr Sidie Tunis commends President Alasssane Ouattara of Ivory Coast and the country’s former President Laurent Gbagbo for their reconciliation and peace pact, urging African leaders to emulate such moves.
The Parliament’s Communications Department made this known in a statement, stating that Tunis’s praises were made during the Community Parliament’s Delocalised meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Dr. Tunis also applauded President Ouattara for initiating the meeting with Gbagbo who accepted the reconciliation deal which he described as the spirit of true African brotherhood.
“I wish to use this medium to pay tribute to the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, His Excellency Alassane Ouattara for his astute governance of this nation and unfailing attendance to regional matters.
“His efforts in restoring and maintaining peace, pursuing national reconciliation, and advancing economic and social development of the country, have been remarkable and should be commended.
“His leadership style is one that is extremely dynamic, which is beautifully transforming Côte d’Ivoire and enhancing the prestige of its institutions to contribute in an exemplary manner to the development of our region.
“The meeting that was held between the incumbent President, His Excellency Alassane Ouattara and his immediate predecessor, Former President Laurent Gbagbo has only helped eased the political atmosphere in the country, but it was also a display of openness, and reconciliation.
“I therefore wish to emphatically commend the political maturity exhibited by President Ouattara by initiating the meeting, he had demonstrated a true African spirit of brotherhood. I call on other African leaders to emulate the good gesture exhibited by His Excellency and In a similar manner, I want to thank Former President Laurent Gbagbo for graciously accepting the olive branch.
“And call on all political leaders and supporters of political parties to conform to this show of statesmanship. Let us all remember, we must not only speak about reconciliation, but we must also act on it,” Tunis said.
Dr. Tunis also congratulated the Speaker of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast, Amadou Soumahoro on his successful election, stating that the National Assembly tops the list of prestigious institutions of the country.
