Gbagbo rides the tiger

Gbagbo could still pull his country back from the brink but shows little sign of wanting to

The stunning victory of President Laurent Koudou Gbagbo's Front Populaire Ivoirien in the parliamentary elections on 10 December settles nothing. In many respects, it makes matters worse. Even those Ivorians who have no time for former Premier Alassane Dramane Ouattara and his Rassemblement des Républicains, which boycotted the vote, say the political drama is far from over (AC Vol 41 No 22). There is a strong chance that the country's political chieftains might resort to military means to settle their differences. The man to watch is the new Army Chief of Staff, General Matthias Doué, the military lawyer with grassroots army backing whose star has been ascending since last December's coup d'état.

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