Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04CARACAS310
2004-01-28 18:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:  

SIGNATURE CHECK TURNS INTO SAUSAGE FACTORY

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL VE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000310 

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
USOAS FOR EIRVING
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL VE
SUBJECT: SIGNATURE CHECK TURNS INTO SAUSAGE FACTORY


Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor,
for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000310

SIPDIS


NSC FOR CBARTON
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD
USOAS FOR EIRVING
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL VE
SUBJECT: SIGNATURE CHECK TURNS INTO SAUSAGE FACTORY


Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor,
for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) The verification process of the signatures in support
of recall votes against President Hugo Chavez and various
National Assembly deputies proceeds at a snail's pace at the
National Electoral Council (CNE). The CNE board initially
proposed restricting the access of international observers to
parts of the verification process, but relented when the OAS
mission threatened to withdraw from the process. The
signatures for the presidential recall are still in the
physical verification stage. Allegations persist of the
CNE's prejudice against the signatures collected against
President Chavez. End summary.

--------------
CNE Director Zamora Criticizes CNE
--------------


2. (C) National Electoral Council (CNE) Vice President
Ezequiel Zamora, who is aligned with the opposition, alleged
publicly on January 24 that certain CNE workers were engaged
in "sabotage" of the signature forms presented by the
opposition in support of a recall referendum against
President Hugo Chavez, forms that are now in the physical
verification stage in the process (prior to transcription).
Zamora claimed that the referral rate of questionable
signature forms to the Superior Technical Committee were
unusually high compared to that of the pro-GOV signature
drive against opposition National Assembly deputies. Zamora
blamed the head of the informatics section, Leonardo
Hernandez, for the disparate treatment. (Note: The Superior
Technical Committee, in charge of adjudicating questionable
signatures, will review referred forms and determine whether
the forms can be forwarded to the transcription process,
where individual signatures are checked. The higher rate of
referral could result in up to 116,000 signature forms for
the committee to review. End note.)


3. (C) OAS observer mission official Edgardo Reis confirmed
to poloff on January 27 that the referral rate for the
presidential signature forms was 40 percent, a significant

rise from the pro-GOV's rate of about four percent. Reis
said the informatics section ordered a change in criteria for
the physical verification stage once the review of
presidential forms began. Reis opined that the move was not
illegal, but would translate into a heavy burden for the
Superior Technical Committee. Reis commented that CNE
workers are performing adequately, but added that absenteeism
of the temporary workers in the physical inspection and
transcription stages averaged between 15 and 20 percent.

--------------
OAS Threatens a Walkout
--------------


4. (C) Reis showed poloff an internal CNE memo dated January
14 ordering the CNE's counsel to draft a resolution that
limited observation of the verification process to the
physical inspection and transcription steps. Only CNE
officials would be permitted access to the computer check,
quality control, and Superior Technical Committee stages,
according to the memo. Learning of the proposal, OAS
officials complained that imposing such restrictions would
fatally undermine the observer mission. Reis said the OAS
mission, acting on instructions from OAS SYG Gaviria, told
CNE officials that if observers were not granted necessary
access, the mission would withdraw from the process. Reis
said the pro-opposition CNE Directors Zamora and Sobella
Mejias had threatened to resign over the decision as well.


5. (C) OAS mission leader Fernando Jaramillo requested
formally on January 16 that the CNE include international
observers in the quality control and committee review stages.

Reis said that Jaramillo and he expressed their concerns to
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, who promised to speak to
CNE officials about it. Reis said he thought everything was
smoothed out until on January 26, when Pro-Chavez Deputy
Nicolas Maduro complained that the OAS was trying to become
"the sixth member of the CNE board." (Note: The political
proponents of each signature drive are also allowed observers
in the process. The proposal to limit observer access
includes them as well. End note.)


6. (C) Reis admitted that observer presence in all stages of
the process is not necessary in a technical sense so long as
they are allowed to cull periodic samples from the rejected
signatures. He noted, however, the political value of having
OAS observers covering multiple areas within the CNE. Asked
whether the CNE would fulfill the February 13 deadline, Reis
said that it can, but probably would not at this pace. He
expressed concern over keeping the OAS team in place for more
than one week beyond the deadline, noting limitations in
financing.

--------------
CNE Apparently Gives In
--------------


7. (U) CNE President Francisco Carrasquero tried to settle
the issue on January 27 by announcing that the international
observers would be given "widened" access in order to assure
total transparency. Carrasquero said the CNE would consult
with the OAS and Carter Center to work out the parameters of
their participation in stages in question. Carrasquero
quelled rumors of discord within the CNE, noting that
relations among the five rectors are cordial. He announced
that the CNE may let slip the February 13 deadline, adding
that the work would be done by the end of February. (Note:
Former President Carter told the press January 27 that he
understood the CNE would finish no later than March 1. End
note.)

--------------
Comment
--------------


8. (C) Despite the conflict over access, the OAS mission
seems to have maintained good relations with the CNE. OAS
(and Carter Center) observer presence is crucial to the CNE's
success. We were concerned by the CNE's move to limit
observation and by reports of prejudiced treatment of the
presidential recall signatures, and so DAS DeShazo's message
to CNE President Carrasquero on January 22 was timely. The
political pressure against the CNE -- internal and external
-- is immense and will only increase as the verification
process proceeds. However, while the CNE process is neither
graceful nor efficient, it is inching forward. The January
25-27 Carter visit contributed considerably to increasing CNE
openness to the OAS and Carter Center, and to statements by
President Chavez that he would respect whatever the CNE
decided. Our message should be of continued support for the
CNE as arbiter of the process -- so long as there is
international observation and the process is transparent.

SHAPIRO


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