GILCHRIST OLYMPIO'S VIEWS OF ABUJA MEETING AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 000787

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2014
TAGS: GH PGOV PREL TO
SUBJECT: GILCHRIST OLYMPIO'S VIEWS OF ABUJA MEETING AND
TOGO ELECTIONS

Classified By: PolChief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.5 d and e.


1. (C) Summary: PolChief met on April 26 with Togolese
opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio in Accra. Olympio said
that in Abuja he had agreed to Obasanjo's request that he and
Faure Gnassingbe cooperate in a government of national unity.
However, the agreement was "in theory", while in practice
this would be very difficult. If asked to join Faure in a
government of national unity, the opposition would consult,
but would be unlikely to accept. Olympio was convinced the
election result -- which came to us during the meeting -- was
rigged and that the opposition won 65 percent of the vote.
He had no specific plan for preventing violence but hoped the
international community would bring pressure and offers of
assistance to bear on a solution which would reject the
election result and support a repeat, fairer election in six
months. End summary.

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Meeting in Abuja
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2. (C) In an April 26 meeting with PolChief, Togo
opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio said he had a four hour
session with President Obasanjo in Abuja, including a
one-on-one and a lengthy meeting which included Faure
Gnassingbe. Obasanjo, who did most of the talking, told both
parties that whichever party wins the election, it should be
seen as a transitional government to pave the way for
democracy in Togo. He noted that the military is an
important institution and the winner needs to learn to
manage. He hoped that, with training and assistance, the
military could evolve from a "tribal" to a "republican"
institution. Obasanjo also acknowledged that the
constitution needs to be reformed. He asked Faure and
Olympio to agree to cooperate in a government of national
unity, whoever wins. Olympio said he agreed "in theory".
Obasanjo followed the meeting with a press conference.
According to Olympio, there was then a somewhat contrived
congeniality. Obasanjo asked the two men to shake hands and
then asked Olympio to embrace Faure (which Olympio said he
would not do because he had never met Gnassingbe before this
event.)


3. (C) Olympio then clarified that, while agreeing "in
theory", in practice this idea was "very difficult". When
asked what he would do if Faure offered participation in a
government of national unity, he said he would have to
consult colleagues in the opposition but he thought the
opposition would be unlikely to accept. Olympio added that
he had already faced criticism within his coalition for what
he did in Abuja. When asked what he would do if were in a
position to govern Togo, he mentioned he could think about
being inclusive in ministerial portfolios, "but we didn't
win."

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The Election Results
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4. (C) Half way through our meeting, someone came to us
with the election results showing Gnassingbe had won.
Olympio took note but had no visible reaction. He said the
result was as he expected. The opposition had faced "a
Hobbson's Choice" - participate in an election they knew
would lose through manipulation or not participate and face
international criticism. Togo could now be entering a
difficult period, he said.


5. (C) PolChief asked if there was a way to prevent an
outbreak of violence and what the opposition would do to
intervene. "We will not encourage it", he responded, noting
that opposition activists would go through the country with
megaphones urging calm. However, it is not clear that the
youth will listen, he said. When asked what he would do to
calm events, he said he would consult with other party
leaders from within Ghana (many of them visit him in Accra).


6. (C) He was confident the U.K. and Canada would reject
the election results. He believes the election was rigged.
Because indelible ink was easily removed, and there was
significant ballot stuffing, the ballots in the boxes do not
reflect the will of the voters, he said. Nonetheless, he
opined that the opposition won 65 percent of the vote. When
PolChief showed him a transcript of the Department
Spokesperson's response to questions in the April 25 daily
briefing, Olympio was pleased. He hoped the U.S., Germany,
Canada and Nigeria would reject the election results and
press for a new election in six months. His ideal would then
be for these governments to support a package of technical
and financial assistance that would help Togo make electoral

reforms and prepare for a truly free and fair election. This
would require international pressure on Gnassingbe. Obasanjo
offered to put a permanent African Union representative in
Togo and there is also an offer of a permanent ECOWAS rep,
"to monitor decisions" in Togo. Olympio welcomed these
offers.

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Comment
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7. (C) Olympio has known Obasanjo for fifteen years and
clearly sees Nigeria as a key position to find a way out of
the current situation. Olympio offered no plan for
preventing violence except hopes that the international
community would step in (although he reiterated his dismissal
of the effectiveness of ECOWAS.) In previous recent
meetings, Olympio had expressed optimism that the opposition
could win the election. His lack of emotion when the results
came in probably reflects a resignation in the face of
election-day violence and irregularities. On election night,
Olympio had called PolChief in a panic mode, saying it was
"the worst case scenario". He was not panicking today (he
was trying to relax in his gardening shorts) but appeared
undecided about what happens next. His comments about the
need for international pressure and support for a new
election were in response to PolChief's questions as we were
walking out of the meeting and appeared more off-the-cuff
than well thought through.
YATES


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