EU AFGHAN ELECTION SUPPORT MISSION PLANS VISITS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003926

SIPDIS

SA/FO FOR MQUINN, EUR/ERA FOR KVOLKER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL PK AF IR EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU AFGHAN ELECTION SUPPORT MISSION PLANS VISITS TO
IRAN AND PAKISTAN

REF: STATE 195819

Classified By: USEU Political Military Officer Jeremy Brenner for reaso
ns 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The EU Democratic Election Support Mission
(DESM) in Afghanistan will send small teams to Pakistan and
Iran to assess out-of-country registration procedures for
Afghan refugees. This is not intended as a formal diplomatic
monitoring mission. The preregistration visit to Islamabad
is scheduled for September 19-21. End summary.


2. (C) We raised reftel points on out-of-country registration
September 15 with Jonathan Hatwell, EU Commission Afghanistan
desk officer. He specified that the EU is not planning a
formal diplomatic monitoring mission in Pakistan or Iran, but
rather the election support team now in Afghanistan will make
a series of visits to examine provisions for out-of-country
registration of Afghan refugees.


3. (C) Hatwell told us that the EU Democratic Election
Support Mission (DESM) in Afghanistan consisting of
approximately 25 people will send a team of two to four
experts to make two visits -- one preregistration and one
during the registration process -- to Islamabad. The
preregistration visit, scheduled for September 19-21 will
look at the processes put in place for registration, and the
team will share its views of the state of preparations. They
will visit again October 1-3 to examine the registration
process in action. The DESM teams will return to Afghanistan
for election day.


4. (C) DESM plans one pre-voting visit to Teheran, where
they will receive logistical support from the Netherlands
embassy. There is an existing registration program in place
in Iran, so the assessment process is expected to be quicker.


5. (C) According to Hatwell, visa problems encountered
earlier by IOM monitors have largely been resolved, although
he suggested that there remain some question marks concerning
the team's entry to Iran. DESM has already made application
for entry visas to Pakistan, and there is no immediate
indication of a problem.

Schnabel