USG SUPPORT FOR GHANA'S DECEMBER 7 ELECTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ACCRA 002239

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE PLEASE PASS USAID (PRIORITY)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GH
SUBJECT: USG SUPPORT FOR GHANA'S DECEMBER 7 ELECTION


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SUMMARY
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1. (U) USG support for the upcoming Ghanaian presidential and
parliamentary elections includes $1,164,000 in USAID and
STATE funding for election-related programs. PAS has provided
$35,000 to support election programs related to the media.
The final transfer of funds was presented on November 10 with
Ambassadorial participation in the Electoral Commission's
polling agent training. In conjunction with the broader
diplomatic community, the Mission plans to send 50 volunteer
observers into the field on election day. The Mission remains
actively engaged with representatives from all political
parties, civil society, and the GoG to encourage peaceful,
free, and fair elections in 2004. End summary.

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FINANCIAL AND PROGRAM ASSISTANCE UPDATE: USAID
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2. (U) USAID-Ghana manages $1,164,000 in Economic Support
Funds (ESF) to support Ghana's presidential and parliamentary
elections this year. The breakdown of this total is as
follows:

$34,000 Ghana Association of the Blind (for tactile ballot
use training)

$50,000 Ibis/Ghana (women's participation)

$450,000 Election Commission (voter registration support)

$450,000 Center for Democratic Development (domestic
observation and 25 parliamentary candidate forums)

$180,000 Electoral Commission
* In conjunction with the Royal Netherlands Embassy, this
program - launched on November 10 - will train polling agents
to ensure that agents of political parties, candidates, and
EC staff receive the same information, understand each
others' roles, and avoid conflict and confusion on election
day. As Ambassador Yates noted in a speech to formally donate
these funds, "An effective performance by each agent at the
polling centers will contribute immensely to enhancing
transparency of the elections and will increase public
confidence in the outcomes."


3. (U) USAID-Ghana's local government/civil society program,
Government Accountability Improves Trust II (GAIT II),will
support MP candidate debates in 29 constituencies as part of
their effort to increase local level civil society engagement
with the GoG.


4. (U) USAID-Washington is working in conjunction with IFES
on an Electoral Violence Education and Resolution (EVER)
project. This is a pilot project that will be run in Ghana
that examines a number of potentially conflict-prone areas.
IFES will partner with CDD-Ghana and the Institute for Policy
Analysis in Tamale to send field monitors to conflict-prone
areas. The EVER project will identify conditions, causes,
practices, or failures provoking electoral violence in order
to prevent, manage, or reduce opportunities for friction in
elections and campaigns. The project will examine electoral
conflict as a discrete form of conflict with unique causes
and solutions, while recognizing that it is linked to broader
social, economic, or criminal motives. In addition, it will
diagnose how election observation can be a more effective
tool in election conflict prevention.

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FINANCIAL AND PROGRAM ASSISTANCE UPDATE: PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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5. (U) The Embassy's Public Affairs Section has provided
$35,000 in election-related support, aimed primarily at media
programs. The breakdown of this total is as follows:

$10,000 Center for Democratic Development (originally
slated for presidential debates, this money will be
reprogrammed for other election-related support if a debate
does not take place this month)

$10,000 Ghana Journalist's Association (issue-specific
media interactions with political party leaders, focusing on
issues such as the education, economy, and health)

$15,000 Three media training workshops (held in Accra,
Takoradi, and Kumasi) to work with journalists on reporting
in an election year. The focus of these workshops was on
broadcast journalism and touched on subjects such as polling,
reporting election results, and covering political rallies.

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FINANCIAL AND PROGRAM ASSISTANCE UPDATE: DHRF
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6. (U) Two grants awarded from the FY04 Democracy and Human
Rights Fund also supported projects cultivating a peaceful
election season and greater awareness of the democratic
process. These projects and allocations are as follows:

$6,110 Women in Broadcasting (supporting programs to
highlight female parliamentary candidates)

$5,000 Berekum Civic Union (community-wide program to
promote political tolerance during elections. Note: The
Berekum CU is also a beneficiary of USAID-Ghana's GAIT II
program ((see para 2 above)),and will be organizing MP
debates under this program).


7. (SBU) The Mission's support for Ghana's elections has been
widely covered in local press and well-received by most. Some
representatives from civil society, as well as members of the
major opposition party, the National Democratic Congress,
have made comments to PolOffs about the substantial support
provided to the Center for Democratic Development (CDD). Some
argue that the CDD leans toward supporting the ruling
National Patriotic Party (NPP). The Associate Executive
Director of CDD, Mr. Baffour Agyeman-Duah, told PolOff on
September 30 said that this allegation has no basis in fact.
(Note: The criticism of CDD from the major opposition party
reveals an aspect of Ghana's developing democracy - that
there can be limited tolerance for divergent views at times.
The Mission believes that CDD-Ghana is struggling to take a
neutral position, and has tried to address the polarized
nature of the campaign by trying to persuade all parties to
focus on the issues at stake and how they will address them.)

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PRE-ELECTION AND ELECTION DAY OBSERVATION
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8. (SBU) Embassy officers have met with representatives of
all the political parties, civil society, the Electoral
Commission, and fellow members of the diplomatic corps to
discuss the December 7 election and assess what useful role
the USG might play. On this issue, the sentiment has been
nearly unanimous: while international observers are welcome,
the need for them is seen as far less pressing than it was in
the 2000 elections. As one EC contact put it to PolChief
"Ghana is coming of age electorally".


9. (U) Furthermore, political contacts seem more concerned
about gaps in monitoring the pre-election process (e.g., the
voter registration process and the EC's response to
challenges) than monitoring the actual election. They do not
see a significant possibility of rigging on polling day. The
EC and others point to the fact that the CDD, the Catholic
Church and others are fielding over 8,000 domestic observers
in this election (compared to 5,000 in the 2000 election).
CDD, with support from USAID, has been fielding 50 monitors
to track pre-election political activities. At the same time
that domestic observer numbers are rising, international
observers are decreasing. While foreign missions fielded
approximately 200 election observers in 2000, the UNDP told
PolOff on November 5 there will be approximately 175
international observers for this year's election.


10. (U) Almost all of the Embassy's political contacts have
said foreign observers can play a useful role in helping to
legitimize the election result and lend support to the
democratic process in Ghana. In addition to extensive
pre-election regional travel and observation, the Mission
will send approximately 50 American direct-hire, spouses, and
FSN observers into the field, in conjunction with the wider
diplomatic community. Foreign observers have been promised by
other Missions in Ghana, including the British (40 observers)
and the Australians/Canadians (20-30),under the coordination
of the UNDP.

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COMMENT
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11. (U) The increasing emphasis on domestic observers (as
opposed to international observers) can be taken as a sign of
increased confidence in the democratic process here. Domestic
observers present distinct advantages over international
observers - they often understand the country and its
politics better; they have local knowledge; and they can
speak local languages. The upswing in domestic observers is a
strong sign of capacity development of the civil society and
suggests increasing local ownership and engagement in the
process. International observers remain important in places
where there are limited or no domestic observers and/or where
local tensions undermine the country's confidence in domestic
observers.


12. (U) The Mission has played an active role in supporting
free, fair, and peaceful elections in Ghana this year. USG
assistance for Ghana's elections has been well-received and
well-publicized. Within the Mission, over 100 personnel have
expressed great interest in serving as election observers on
December 7. The Mission believes their involvement builds
both our public image in Ghana and morale within the Mission
itself. End comment.
YATES