STRENGTHENING MULTIPARTY DEMPOCRACY IN SOUTHERN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GABORONE 005064

DEPT. FOR AF - SCHNEIDMAN, AF/S - RENDER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SADC EAID KDEM PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: STRENGTHENING MULTIPARTY DEMPOCRACY IN SOUTHERN
AFRICA

REF: A) STATE 119706, B) GABORONE 1355, C) GABORONE 5057

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SUMMARY
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1. IN THE PAST YEAR SOUTHERN AFRICA HAS WITNESSED A
SERIES OF ELECTIONS. SOME, SUCH AS THOSE IN MOZAMBIQUE,
ZIMBABWE, AND TANZANIA, HAVE BEEN HOTLY CONTESTED IN SOME
AREAS, WITH QUESTIONS RAISED AS TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE
ELECTORAL PROCESS. OTHERS, SUCH AS THOSE IN BOTSWANA,
NAMIBIA, AND MAURITIUS, HAVE BEEN GENERALLY ACCEPTED AS
MODELS OF ELECTORAL LEGITIMACY. THE ATTENTION GIVEN TO
THESE ELECTIONS, COUPLED WITH THE EMERGENCE OF
SIGNIFICANT PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITIONS IN SEVERAL
COUNTRIES, HAS GIVEN RISE TO A NUMBER OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN-
LED INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE MULTI-PARTYISM AND DEMOCRATIC
PERFORMANCE IN THE REGION. THIS PROVIDES US A UNIQUE AND
TIMELY OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THESE DEVELOPMENTS. WE
RECOMMEND DOING SO, AND PROPOSE THAT THE DEPARTMENT
ALLOCATE $250,000 IN FY01 ESF TO HELP ESTABLISH A
PERMANENT CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES
AND TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A
POLITICAL PARTY TRAINING INSTITUTE. END SUMMARY.

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BACKGROUND
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2. OUR REQUEST FOLLOWS THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE
"ENGINEERING DEMOCRATIC CHANGE: THE EXPERIENCE OF
POLITICAL PARTIES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA" CONFERENCE HELD
SEPTEMBER 28-30 IN WINDHOEK USING FY00 ESF (REF C). THE
CONFERENCE WAS ORGANIZED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NAMIBIA,
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE, AND THE NATIONAL
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
(UNAM/UWC/NDI GROUP),AND WAS ATTENDED BY POLITICAL PARTY
LEADERS FROM GOVERNING AND OPPOSITION PARTIES AROUND THE
REGION. THE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS ISSUED AN EIGHT-
POINT CONSENSUS DOCUMENT THAT OUTLINES THEIR DECISION TO
FORM A CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA (CCPP) AND TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF FORMING
A REGIONAL POLITICAL PARTY TRAINING INSTITUTE. THE
PARTICIPANTS ALSO PROPOSED THAT THE UNAM/UWC/NDI GROUP
ORGANIZE A MEETING IN MARCH 2001 TO OFFICIALLY LAUNCH THE
CCPP AND THE INSTITUTE. BOTH INITIATIVES WILL EMBRACE
GOVERNING AND OPPOSITION PARTY LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE
IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM, WITH THE AIM OF IMPROVING POLITICAL
PARTIES' ABILITY TO FUNCTION AS DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS.

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OUR PROPOSAL
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3. USAID'S REGIONAL CENTER FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA (RCSA)
PARTICIPATED IN FOLLOW-ON MEETINGS WITH THE UNAM/UWC/NDI
GROUP IN CAPE TOWN ON OCTOBER 18 AND WITH UNAM IN
GABORONE ON OCTOBER 27. THESE MEETINGS REAFFIRMED THE
GROUP'S RESOLVE TO CARRY THE PROCESS THROUGH TO THE MARCH
2001 MEETING AND BEYOND. WE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD ON OUR
INITIAL ESF INVESTMENT IN THIS PROCESS AND ENCOURAGE THIS
INITIATIVE OF POLITICAL PARTIES FROM THROUGHOUT THE SADC
REGION BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ESF FUNDING IN SUPPORT OF
THESE EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL DEMOCRATIC
PERFORMANCE. WE PROPOSE THAT THE DEPARTMENT ALLOCATE
$250,000 IN FY01 ESF TO ALLOW RCSA TO:

-- SUPPORT THE MARCH 2001 MEETING;

-- ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING THE CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE OF
POLITICAL PARTIES THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE FORMALIZED AT
THAT MEETING; AND

-- INVESTIGATE MECHANISMS FOR ESTABLISHING SUSTAINABLE
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN POLITICAL
PARTY LEADERS.


4. OF THIS AMOUNT, WE PROPOSE THAT APPROXIMATELY
$100,000 BE USED TO SUPPORT PREPARING AND CONVENING THE
MARCH 2001 MEETING, $100,000 TO HELP TO ESTABLISH THE
CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE, AND $50,000 TO CONTRIBUTE TO
EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH THE TRAINING INSTITUTE.

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COMMENT
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5. THE UNAM/UWC/NDI GROUP'S INITIATIVE COMES AT AN
IMPORTANT INTER-ELECTION PERIOD, WHEN ROLES AND
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GOVERNING AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
WILL BE FORMULATED AND CONSOLIDATED, AND CAN EVOLVE INTO
INFLUENTIAL, POSITIVE CODES OF CONDUCT FOR POLITICAL
PARTY ACTION DURING THE NEXT ROUND OF ELECTIONS. THIS
INITIATIVE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN
PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC NORMS FOR POLITICAL BEHAVIOR IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA. IN OUR VIEW, THE INITIATIVE HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO AMELIORATE DISCORD CAUSED BY A "WINNER-TAKE-
ALL" MENTALITY AND TO DEMONSTRATE REAL POLITICAL WILL BY
THE REGION'S PARTY LEADERS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE
PUBLIC INTEREST.

DELISI