Tuesday, March 6, 1990

President of the Ivory Coast Rejects Democracy Demands

President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, breaking a five-year public silence in the face of fierce opposition to his 30-year rule, today rejected demands for multiparty democracy and said he would use force to keep order.

Mr. Houphouet-Boigny, who is at least 84 years old, said at his first news conference in five years, ''Faced with injustice and disorder, I shall not hesitate to choose injustice.''

He blamed Western companies for the unrest and said they were trying to destabilize the country by driving down prices of cocoa and coffee, the Ivory Coast's main exports.

Source: New York Times

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