STADIUM: CROWDS: PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY SPEAKING: CROWDS APPLAUDING: PRESIDENT LEAVING STADIUM & DRIVING OFF. (FRENCH SOF)




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Background: SPEAKING TO A PUBLIC MEETING ON SATURDAY (MAY 31) ORGANISED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE "HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY" STADIUM STADIUM IN ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST, PRESIDENT FELIX HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY ANNOUNCED THE REOPENING OF ABIDJAN UNIVERSITY, CLOSED DOWN ON MAY 24TH FOLLOWING STUDENT STRIKES.

THE PRESIDENT ALSO THANKED ALL THOSE WHO HAD NOT FOLLOWED THE EXAMPLE OF THE STRIKING STUDENTS - PREVENTING THE COUNTRY FROM FALLING INTO CHAOS.

IN HIS SPEECH, THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT ALL STUDENTS WOULD BE READMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY EXCEPTION - INCLUDING THOSE WHO TOOK PART IN THE STRIKE WHICH BEGAN ON MAY 19 ARISING OUT OF POLITICAL DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE MAIN STUDENTS' ORGANISATION (MEECI). THE STRIKE LED TO CLASHES BETWEEN STUDENT PICKETS AND SECURITY FORCES AND MANY ARRESTS WERE MADE. THE RECTOR AND THREE PROFESSORS RESIGNED, AND THE UNIVERSITY'S MANY FOREIGN STUDENTS WERE SENT HOME.

THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO REOPEN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABIDJAN CAME AFTER LONG TALKS WHICH CULMINATED THE MEECI APPEALING TO HIM LAST WEDNESDAY TO TAKE THIS DECISION. IN GIVING-IN TO THE STUDENT ORGANISATION'S PLEA, PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY GAVE A PUBLIC PARDON TO THE STRIKERS AND SAID THAT HE WANTED THE UNIVERSITY AND SCHOOLS REOPENED BECAUSE ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE IVORY COAST, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, SHOULD BE SENT BACK TO THEIR STUDIES. AT THE SAME TIME HE QUALIFIED THE STRIKE AS "ILLEGAL AND INADMISSIBLE IN THE COUNTRY OF DIALOGUE AND BROTHERHOOD SUCH AS THE IVORY COAST."
PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY ADDED THAT HE WAS GRATEFUL THAT ONLY MINORITY OF STUDENTS AND MILITANT SUPPORTERS HAD TAKEN PART IN THE STRIKERS AND RENDERED "HOMMAGE" TO THOSE WHO REFUSED TO SUPPORT THE STRIKERS AND THAT ALTHOUGH "THE TROUBLE MAKERS WERE UNDER ARREST, AND THE UNIVERSITY AND SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED, THE COUNTRY HAD NOT BEEN PERTURBED ..... AND THE MAGNIFICENT CIVIC LESSON WOULD SHOW THE WORLD THAT ONE CAN PRACTICE SOLIDARITY WITH GOOD AND NOT WITH EVIL.