Abidjan, May 18, GNA - Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, Ghana's Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire and a veteran journalist, has called on the Ivorian media operators and politicians to comport themselves during their upcoming elections to preserve that country's beautiful vegetation and water bodies.

The Ghanaian Ambassador, who was addressing the opening ceremony of the Sixth West African Journalist Association (WAJA) Congress held in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, said God had blessed that country with lots of water bodies and rich vegetation and urged the people to strive to preserve these through peaceful elections.

"Whether you are able to keep these natural gifts would depend on what the media write and what your politicians do," he said. He noted that elections would soon be held in that country, which is currently going through a national crisis, and that the media and WAJA had a crucial role to play.

He, therefore, advised Ivorian journalists to be wary of what they wrote to ensure the peace and unity of their country. Cote d'Ivoire has since September 2002 been plunged into civil strife following a failed coup that metamorphosed into a rebellion, which has cut the country into two, with the southern part under the administration of President Laurent Babgbo and the northern part under the New Forces led by Guillaume Soro.

Abidjan, the capital and seat of government, however looked calm and safe at the time of the congress, which coincided with the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day.

Mr Blay-Amihere, a former president of WAJA, observed that the beauty of the civil service was that its structures, like the Hotel Ivoire, venue of the congress, are always preserved to stand the test of time.

He expressed his delight to see the WAJA ship still on course, and urged members of the Association to preserve its structures to enable it to grow from strength to strength.

He recalled his active involvement in the affairs of WAJA, saying that even though he had left the mainstream of journalism for politics, he believed that he owed his current position to what he did as a journalist.

"By our work (as journalists), we should feel to be part and parcel of the political process," he said.

The Congress attracted delegates from 16 countries including Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Togo.

Others were from Liberia, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Togo, as well as Mauritania. The main theme of the Congress was "WAJA after 20 years". It also held a symposium under the theme: "The Media and Electoral Processes" that looked at the operations of the media, before, during and after elections as well as the constraints faced by journalists in the West Africa Sub-Region.

The participants were mainly representatives of various media professional associations, State and Private media, media regulatory bodies, international organisations and partners as well as experts on electoral issues.