A TRIAL SCHEME STARTING ON THURSDAY TO PROVIDE THOUSANDS IN IVORY COAST WITH IDENTITY PAPERS IS A STEP TOWARDS DELAYED ELECTIONS LATER THIS YEAR, BUT IT HAS REIGNITED MISTRUST AMONG THE COUNTRY'S OPPOSING FACTIONS, REUTERS REPORTED. NATIONAL IDENTITY WAS AT THE HEART OF THE BRIEF 2002-2003 CIVIL WAR WHICH SPLIT THE WORLD'S NO. 1 COCOA GROWER IN TWO. THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS, ALONG WITH DISARMAMENT OF REBELS AND PRO-GOVERNMENT MILITIAS, IS A KEY ELEMENT OF A U.N.-BACKED PEACE PLAN THAT CALLS FOR ELECTIONS BY THE END OF OCTOBER. "IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN ACHIEVE CONCRETE RESULTS IN THE PARALLEL PROCESSES OF IDENTIFYING WHO HAS CITIZENSHIP AND DDR (DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILISATION AND REINTEGRATION), THE MOMENTUM TOWARD PEACE AND REUNIFICATION MAY BECOME HARDER TO STOP," THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP THINK TANK SAID IN A CAUTIOUS REPORT. IN THE PILOT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAMME STARTING ON THURSDAY, IVORIANS OVER 13 YEARS OLD LIVING IN SEVEN LOCALITIES WILL SEEK TO REGISTER THEIR IDENTITY. THE BIRTHS OF AN ESTIMATED 3.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE WEST AFRICAN STATE, WHICH IS DIVIDED BETWEEN A REBEL-HELD NORTH AND GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED SOUTH, HAVE NEVER BEEN REGISTERED. SUPPORTERS OF PRESIDENT LAURENT GBAGBO SAY THEY FEAR THE REBELS AND HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS WILL USE THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS TO FRAUDULENTLY SWELL THE VOTING REGISTER. "THEY ARE PREPARING MASSIVE FRAUD IN IVORY COAST," PASCAL NAMBO KADJA, A LOCAL COUNCILLOR AND MEMBER OF GBAGBO'S IVORIAN POPULAR FRONT PARTY, TOLD REUTERS. THE REBELS, WHO TRIED TO OUST GBAGBO IN 2002 AND SEIZED THE NORTH OF THE COUNTRY, SAY THEY TOOK UP ARMS PRECISELY TO FIGHT FOR IDENTITY RIGHTS. THEY SAY THESE RIGHTS WERE BEING DENIED TO NORTHERNERS WHOSE PAPERS WERE TORN UP BY SECURITY FORCES. SOME GBAGBO SUPPORTERS DENY THIS HOWEVER, SAYING THE REBELS WERE TRYING TO GRAB WEALTH AND POWER UNDEMOCRATICALLY. --MORE
