Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05CAIRO6992
2005-09-08 15:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR AND U.S. PARTY INSTITUTES ASSESS

Tags:  PGOV KDEM EG 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 006992 

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR POUNDS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2015
TAGS: PGOV KDEM EG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND U.S. PARTY INSTITUTES ASSESS
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND DEVELOP DEMOCRATIC ACTION AGENDA


Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

-------
Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 006992

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR POUNDS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2015
TAGS: PGOV KDEM EG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND U.S. PARTY INSTITUTES ASSESS
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND DEVELOP DEMOCRATIC ACTION AGENDA


Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) In a September 8 lunch hosted by the Ambassador,
leaders of the assessment teams deployed by the National
Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican
Institute (IRI) gave a soberly optimistic assessment of the
September 7 presidential election and discussed next steps.
Together, the party institute representatives, emboffs, and
the Ambassador elaborated an action agenda to work on in the
run up to the parliamentary elections and beyond. End
summary.

--------------
A Flawed Process...
--------------


2. (C) Both party institute teams were in agreement that the
September 7 process had been seriously flawed - with the
ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and its cadres
omnipresent in every polling station. NDP cadres, rather
than electoral officials and judicial supervisors, often
appeared to be the ones in control of polling stations.
Reflecting a low level of political/democratic awareness,
many of the NDP activists openly discussed their violations
with monitors. An NDI observer noted: "These people were
very proud and happy to show us how efficient they were at
delivering voters to the polls, and making sure they voted
for Mubarak."


3. (C) Other serious problems outlined by IRI and NDI
included the failure of election officials to make voter
lists, and even information on designated polling sites,
available equally to all competing parties. The NDP was well
informed far in advance, they noted, while other parties
didn't receive copies of the voter lists, or polling sites,
until after the balloting started. The Presidential Election
Commission (PEC),which regulated the process, "was the most
powerful, isolated, and untouchable" electoral body any of
the IRI team members, with combined experience observing 40
elections, had ever seen, the IRI team leader noted.

--------------
...But Clear Signs of Improvement
--------------


4. (C) In spite of the many flaws and difficulties, lunch
guests told the Ambassador they found a number of encouraging
signs from the September 7 experience indicating important

steps toward democratic transition in Egypt. "The GOE
deserves some credit," opined a member of the NDI team,
acknowledging that the principle of multi-candidate elections
now seemed firmly established, and that a significant
increase in quantity and quality of public debate in Egypt
was undeniable.


5. (C) Other guests noted that the conduct of the security
forces during the election had been much better than they,
and many of their Egyptian counterparts, had anticipated.
Incidents between police and domestic monitors had been
relatively isolated, and even in some of those cases,
remedial action had been taken. While monitors' access to
polling stations, following the PEC's very belated decision
to allow them in, remained limited, the GOE had shown much
more tolerance and acceptance of both the domestic monitors
and the foreign assessment missions than either had expected,
establishing an important precedent for future polls.
Overall relations between NDI and the GOE were also faring
better than had been expected, the NDI team leader told the
Ambassador. Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit received him and an
NDI team for a friendly meeting on September 7 and affirmed
to him that, as far as the GOE was concerned, NDI was welcome
in Egypt, though he urged the group to register with the
Ministry of Social Affairs as an international NGO - a
process NDI has already begun.

--------------
Looking Ahead
--------------


6. (C) The Ambassador, his guests, and emboffs agreed that
although the September 7 vote left much room for improvement,
there was no question that the election reflected tangible
progress over previous elections and that there were many
ways in which the USG and the party institutes could work
together to help Egypt's democratic transition move forward.
The first opportunity, they agreed, will be in Egypt's
legislative elections, which will be held in three rounds in
November and possibly December (dates to be announced). All
agreed the GOE should take now a number of steps to improve
the electoral process, which would constitute a joint action
agenda for the USG and partners in the next six weeks and
beyond. Steps the GOE should take include:
-- Inviting international monitors to observe the process;

-- Establishing an election commission more transparent and
accountable than the PEC;

-- Providing opposition parties with timely access to voter
registration rolls and locations of polling stations;

-- Moving those polling places still located in police
stations to neutral sites such as schools or public health
units;

-- Tight regulation inside the polling stations to ensure a
non-partisan atmosphere;

-- Offering training (with international support) to judges
serving as polling station supervisors;

-- Replacing existing ballot boxes with transparent ones;

-- Affirming the right (in a clear and timely fashion) of
domestic monitors to participate fully in the process; and

-- Reopening the registration process to enfranchise more
citizens.


--------------
Comment
--------------


7. (U) As the luncheon broke up, members of both party
institute teams expressed to the Ambassador their gratitude
for the strong support and cooperation the Embassy and the
Cairo USAID mission have provided in the past year.


Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website.

RICCIARDONE