ELECTION FUNDING RELEASED

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001980 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV CG SUBJECT: ELECTION FUNDING RELEASED REF: KINSHASA 1934 ¶1. (SBU) Reftel reported that CIAT members had 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 letter was subsequently sent to Bemba, outlining the reason that a meeting with him was being requested. ¶2. (SBU) At a regularly-scheduled CIAT meeting on October 21, the French ambassador reported that almost $1.3 million had been released. It represents the first of a planned three tranches of the disbursement. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: The CIAT letter to Bemba was apparently enough to end the logjam, and no further CIAT action on this matter is anticipated. End comment. MEECE