SPAIN: DISAPPOINTED BUT STILL ENGAGED AFTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001831

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV EK SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: DISAPPOINTED BUT STILL ENGAGED AFTER
EQUATORIAL GUINEA ELECTIONS


Classified By: KATHLEEN FITZPATRICK, POLITICAL COUNSELOR.
REASON 1.4 (B) & (D)

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Summary
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1. (C) Spanish MFA officials were upset that Equatorial
Guinean President Obiang allowed the opposition Convergence
for Social Democracy Party (CPDS) to pick up only a handful
of seats in the April 25 legislative elections. Citing
serious voting irregularities, Spanish officials concluded
that the results showed that Obiang simply refuses to share
power and is resistant to Spanish pressure. However, Spain
will continue to engage Equatorial Guinea (GREG) on
governance issues. The GOS continues to monitor opposition
leader Severo Moto although they no longer consider him a
major political player. End Summary.

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Spain's Pre-election Hopes
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2. (C) Poloff consulted with Jose Luis Martin-Yague, desk
officer for sub-Saharan Africa, on May 19 to discuss Spanish
views on Equatorial Guinea's April 25 legislative elections
and the status of opposition figure Severo Moto. This was
the first opportunity to exchange views with the MFA on these
issues because our interlocutors were awaiting the
installation of Alvaro IRANZO Gutierrez as the new director
general for sub-Saharan African affairs before the GOS
clarified its position.


3. (C) Martin-Yague said Spanish officials pressed Equatorial
Guinean President Teodorino Obiang Nguema on the need for
fair legislative elections and a pluralist election outcome.
Obiang rejected Spain's offer to ask for EU election
monitors. He did agree to have four Spanish election
observers, including one senator from the governing Spanish
Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE),Juan Jose La Borda. In
April, before the elections, Secretary of State for External
Affairs Bernadino Leon met with Obiang in Pretoria on the
margins of the Mbeki inauguration. Leon discussed the need
for transparent elections with Obiang and maintained regular
contact with Obiang's chief assistant, Alejandro Ebuna, on
the issue.


4. (C) Spain had expected the opposition Convergence for
Social Democracy Party (CPDS) would win at least twenty-five
percent of the parliament seats. According to Martin-Yague,
the CPDS remains the only credible opposition party despite
being sideline by Obiang in previous elections. As a social
democratic party, the CPDS maintains broad support within the
PSOE.

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The Election Fall-out
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5. (C) Martin-Yague told us that Spain election observers
believe that Obiang's Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
(PDGE) party won the majority of the votes. However, they
found the election process to be seriously flawed. The
Spanish observers cited discrepancies in candidate lists and
voter registration. Observers also noted low voter
participation on the island of Bioka where the CPDS claimed
to have most of its support.


6. (C) According to Martin-Yague, the CPDS defeat implies
that months of dialogue with Obiang had failed. Although
Secretary Leon was "disgusted" with the results, Spain would

SIPDIS
remain engaged with the CPDS to help negotiate its
parliamentary seats with the GREG. Martin-Yague said a deal
between the CPDS and the GREG was unlikely, however. He
thought Obiang wanted to keep CPDS out of power not so much
because the CPDS was perceived as too close to Spain, but
because Obiang believes that sharing power is losing all
power.


7. (C) Martin-Yague said that Spain has a genuine interest in
helping Equatorial Guinea develop democracy. Spain will
continue to fund a program to train judicial officials,
professionalize the civil service, and promote education and
health programs. Martin-Yague noted that Spain's interest in
democracy is complemented by Spain's interest in Mange
Island. Spain also supports Equatorial Guinea's claim to the
island and would possibly like to pursue joint exploration of
its oil reserves in the future.

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Severo Moto
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8. (C) Opposition leaders Severo Moto remains a political
refugee in Spain, but his Progress Party (PP) has little
support in Malabo or among immigrants from Equatorial Guinea
in Spain. Although Moto continues to denounce human rights
abuses by the Obiang regime, his exile in Spain has
diminished his influence on politics in Equatorial Guinea,
said Martin-Yague. Nevertheless, the GOS continues to
monitor Moto to determine whether he is liability on Spain's
relationship with the GREG, Martin-Yague said.

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Comment
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9. (C) Spain is disappointed that its advocacy of free
elections with Obiang failed to help the CPDS in the April 25
legislative election. There is heightened interested in the
CPDS in Spain because the party shares the political
philosophy of the governing Spanish socialist party. The
CPDS loss sent a signal that Spain has little leverage over
Obiang. Nevertheless, Spain will continue to push the GREG
on governance issues.
ARGYROS