The Cote d'Ivoire alliance of opposition parties here on Wednesday issued a statement opposing President Laurent Gbagbo's decree to extend the expired mandate of the parliament dominated by his ruling party.

Under the current political system, the president and the National Assembly should exercise administrative and legislative powers respectively and independently.

As president, Gbagbo is not entitled to dismiss the parliament, or extend its mandate. Any unilateral action that Gbagbo has taken is not legally binding, the statement said.

Moreover, the decree does not conform with UN resolution 1633. And the International Working Group, established in accordance with the Security Council resolution, stressed on Jan. 15 that the National Assembly was the legislative body elected by democratic vote. There is no legal basis supporting the extension of its mandate so far, the statement added.

The statement also said all parliamentarians of opposition parties would not attend the assembly conferences based on the decree, and they would be waiting for the Prime Minister Konan Banny to assign specific tasks that seek peace and conciliation.

The current National Assembly of Cote d'Ivoire was elected in 2000, and its mandate expired on Dec. 16 last year. However, due to the postponement of presidential and parliament elections, the UN Security Council extended Gbagbo's presidency to Oct. 30, 2006, without addressing the status of parliament.

The International Working Group was tasked with negotiating with all parties to seek a resolution to the conflict. The country's constitutional committee issued an official statement last December claiming, that in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution, the mandate of the current parliament should be extended until the next parliamentary election.

Thus, Gbagbo announced the presidential decree on the extension of the expired mandate on Jan. 27, in a move which has become a big concern to the UN secretary-general as well as French Foreign Ministry.

Source: Xinhua