DOMINICAN ELECTION #30: OAS LAUNCHES OBSERVER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 001835

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR WHA-FRIEDMAN, WHA/CAR, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL
STATE PASS AID
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON
LABOR FOR ILAB
TREASURY FOR OASIA-LAMONICA
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH
DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL IO DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTION #30: OAS LAUNCHES OBSERVER
MISSION

REF: SANTO DOMINGO 1823


1. (SBU) This is No. 30 in our series on the Dominican
presidential election:

OAS LAUNCHES ELECTION OBERVER MISSION

Senior advisor Santiago Murray kicked off the U.S.-funded
Organization of American States (OAS) election observation
mission during a March 15-19 visit to Santo Domingo. Murray
serves in the OAS Unit for Promotion of Democracy. An
Argentine, he has observed elections in 10 Latin American
countries over the past decade, including the Dominican
presidential contests in 2000 and 1996. The press played up
his consultations with the Central Election Board (JCE) and
President Mejia. Murray met the main opposition candidates,
the USAID-funded NGO "Citizen Participation," the Monitoring
Commission of civic notables, and diplomats. He gave the
Ambassador an account of his week.

Murray's visit toned down complaints that OAS observers would
be inadequate or that the international community (read USG)
would provide insufficient support. Hours after Murray's
March 19 departure, the Ambassador announced $325,000 for the
OAS effort during his speech at the Foreign Secretariat's
Diplomatic School. Government-owned daily "Listin Diario"
headlined this contribution in its report of the speech,
which was mainly devoted to other issues (septel).

The U.S. contribution encouraged other donors. EU Ambassador
Miguel Amado learned of it from the Ambassador at a March 17
lunch for Murray offered by the Spanish ambassador and
offered an additional 80,000 euros (100,000 USD) from his
locally available assistance funds. Canadian Ambassador Adam
Blackwell at his March 17 reception for Murray make public a
promise of RD $1.5 million (31,000 USD) to upgrade equipment
at the OAS office here that will serve as the observer
mission's headquarters.

In his 30-minute meeting with President Mejia, Murray
reported widespread concerns that Mejia's ruling PRD might
attempt election fraud and that the President was using
government resources for campaign purposes. Mejia flatly
denied both allegations and offered "full guarantees and
security" that there would be no electoral irregularities.
He emphasized that he was campaigning with personal vehicles
and other non-GODR resources. Murray was clear: if any such
abuses are verified during the election process and not
corrected, the OAS mission will speak out.

This came in a week when, almost daily, Mejia showed up in
different provinces cutting ribbons on public works projects,
from irrigation systems to housing. In the province of Azua
alone, the works were valued at RD $2 billion (40 million
USD). Mejia told the press March 14 he had visited 22 of the
nation's 29 provinces since the start of the campaign and
claimed to be "ahead of my adversaries" in 20 of them. Most
of these visits featured highly publicized inaugurations of
local public works.

In his call on the Ambassador March 18 Murray praised U.S.
support of his mission. The Ambassador reiterated the offer
of any appropriate Embassy assistance to the mission. Murray
assured us he would coordinate with any qualified
international NGOs that might send observers, regardless of
their funding soruces, and with the Embassy throughout the
election process. He raised the possibility that OAS SecGen
Gaviria might visit on election day. Murray expects the
political atmosphere to get "tougher" in coming weeks, with
the theme of low public confidence in the process, alleged
partisan bias of the Central Election Board (JCE) and the
controversy associated with Mejia's re-election bid, .

Murray plans to return for a week in mid-April with a team of
three technical experts (on computers, election logistics,
and legal aspects). The OAS will establish eight
international observers in different regions of the country.
In early May, he will return and gradually build up to a team
of 25 international observers. All will stay through
election day and four orfive days afterward to cover the vote
count and any disputes. The OAS will conduct a "quick count"
at the close of the polls and provide the results to the
election authorities,

Earlier, Murray met at the Embassy with mid-level diplomats
from 11 embassies and the UN and OAS offices here. Four more
embassies were interested but could not attend, and we will
keep them informed. Murray outlined his proposal to organize
a group of diplomats to work as election observers on May 16
in coordination with the OAS mission. Murray said the OAS
would send a formal invitation to all the missions to solicit
from their staffs mid-level volunteers for election observer
duty. Participants agreed agreed that upon receipt of the
invitations, the volunteers will send their c.v.'s to OAS
Resident Representative Bertha Santoscoy. The OAS will
arrange for observer credentials to be issued by the JCE.
Murray committed to meet again with the diplomats and to
conduct technical orientation for them.


2. (U) Drafted by Bain Cowell.


3. (U) This report and others in our election series are
available on the SIPRNET at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ index.cfm along
with extensive other material.
HERTELL