9TH POLITICAL PARTY CREATED IN DJIBOUTI

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000274

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER;
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2015
TAGS: PGOV SOCI DJ
SUBJECT: 9TH POLITICAL PARTY CREATED IN DJIBOUTI

Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Reed for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) On March 3rd, the Ministry of Interior gave official
legal recognition to the ninth political party created in
Djibouti. The Union for Supporters of Reform (UPR) is led by
Ibrahim Chehem Daoud as President, Mohamed Abdillahi Aourah
and Ali Houssein Ahmed as dual vice-presidents, and Adou Ali
Adou as General Secretary. UPR held its inaugural congress
March 5th, in which its leadership declared the party's
support for President Ismail Omar Guelleh as candidate for
the April 8th presidential elections.


2. (C) Pol/Econ met with Ibrahim Chehem Daoud March 10th to
discuss the party's political aspirations and agenda. Daoud
said UPR's focus is on the daily needs of the country's
population. While UPR has no presidential aspirations for the
time being, Daoud said the party's main priority is the
election of Regional Governing Councils for the districts and
future legislative elections. If the party has the financial
means to submit a list for the regional elections, it will,
otherwise it will join a coalition of other parties. He
commented political parties in Djibouti are too far from the
population and are too disconnected to know the real needs of
the people. Daoud said it was pure coincidence that his party
was legalized on the eve of Presidential elections. He added
the party fully supports a second mandate for President
Guelleh because the first six years of Guelleh's tenure have
seen political stability, which is a necessity for growth.
Daoud said no other candidate could do more than Guelleh has
done.


3. (C) Regarding the opposition, Daoud said he respected, but
did not understand the decision to boycott. He commented that
after the loss of Ahmed Dini, the leader of the opposition
party Alliance for Republican Development (ARD) and the
opposition umbrella coalition Union for Democratic Alternance
(UAD),the opposition has not been able to find a leader.
Daoud said the boycott would not accomplish the opposition's
goal of ousting Guelleh, but rather ensure his re-election.
He added his opinion that even if the opposition had a
candidate, Guelleh would win.


4. (C) Daoud's political involvement started with the
foundation of the Djiboutian Federation for Human Rights, an
exiled association out of Ethiopia, which was not legally
recognized by the Djiboutian government at the time. He
returned from exile in Ethiopia in 1996. In the early 1990's,
Daoud was also a member of the political wing of the Front
for Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD),which allied
itself with the government after the signing of the 1994
peace treaty ending the country's civil war. Daoud was a
member of FRUD up to 2002, when he left because, in his view,
the party did not adapt to change. Daoud said at that time he
began the two-year process to create UPR in order to have a
party that is motivated to change the status quo. Daoud comes
from a political family - his father was a Minister and
Member of Parliament during the colonial era and his uncle is
Mohamed Daoud Chehem, President of the opposition party
Djiboutian Party for Development (PDD).


5. (C) Comment: While Daoud appears to have a serious
interest in district politics, he does not have a zeal for
national politics. Pol/Econ repeatedly asked about UPR's
political program, or what it would like to see from a
presidential candidate, but Daoud evaded the question and
responded that UPR had no divergence from that of Guelleh.
Daoud said he would pass the party's agenda for regional and
legislative elections to Pol/Econ for her review. Embassy
Economic Assistant commented that rumors were circulating
regarding the impact UPR's creation would have on FRUD
(Government aligned) and ARD (opposition),the two political
parties made up of a majority of Afars. Economic Assistant
said many are saying UPR could present a real alternative for
members of ARD who do not agree with the opposition's boycott
to vote. It may also attract members away from both parties.
End Comment.
RAGSDALE