ELECTION FUNDING BLOCKED: CIAT TO MEET WITH BEMBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001940 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2014 TAGS: KDEM PGOV CG SUBJECT: ELECTION FUNDING BLOCKED: CIAT TO MEET WITH BEMBA REF: KINSHASA 1934 Classified By: CDA TDougherty for reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (SBU) Summary. CIAT members agreed to request a meeting with Vice President Bemba to discuss the Finance Ministry's refusal to release $3.6 million provided by the French to support election preparations. A selected delegation of CIAT chiefs of mission will ask Bemba, who heads the transitional government's economics and finance commission, to unblock funds urgently needed by the Independent Electoral Commission. End Summary. ¶2. (U) At its regular weekly meeting of October 14, CIAT discussed Vice President Bemba's request for arbitration regarding control of the parastatals (reftel),as well as preparations for local, parliamentary, and presidential elections. The president of the Independent Electoral Commission, Abbe Apollinaire Malu Malu, briefed CIAT members on the work of his commission. ¶3. (C) Malu Malu indicated that the Commission's greatest immediate challenge is to set up offices outside of Kinshasa and to hire staff. Unfortunately, he said, the Commission's work has come to a standstill since it has received no funding from the Finance Ministry. No funds from the GDRC have been transferred, nor has funding provided by donor countries been released. Malu Malu indicated that a letter from the head of state ordering funds to be released had been sent, but that the letter had "no effect." (Note: Charge and polcounselor were told separately on October 14 by Ambassador-at-Large Kapangaa that such a letter had been sent. Signed by President Kabila, it was sent directly to Vice President Kabila.) ¶4. (SBU) The French Ambassador underscored that $3.6 million has been transferred by his government for use by the Commission. It has not been released by the Finance Ministry, however, and CIAT is therefore requesting clarification from Bemba. ¶5. (C) Comment: It is unclear why the release of the French contribution has been blocked. It seems likely that it has to do with a power play on Bemba's part at a time when he is calling upon CIAT to arbitrate in his favor on the control of parastatals. Whatever the reason for the non-release of the funds, it is significantly slowing preparations for elections slated to take place in a matter of months. End comment. DOUGHERTY