UNCLAS MAPUTO 000516

SIPDIS
STATE FOR G, AF/S - HTREGER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PREL MZ
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE - COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES: ELECTION
STANDARDS INITIATIVE

REF: A. STATE 71937

B. MAPUTO 476


1. On April 21 Econ/Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Faruk
Faquira in the Mozambican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Faquira stated the GRM agreed with the concept of election
standards. However, he said he could not speak definitively
on the level of support the GRM would give the elections
standards initiative at the April 28-30 Community of
Democracies (CD) ministerial in Santiago, Chile. He stressed
the GRM understood the universal need for free, fair and
transparent elections, and felt the initiative, if approached
correctly, could serve as an effective tool in reaching this
goal. Faquira added his government would likely support the
creation of a working group on the initiative, though he
expressed concern over how inclusive such a group ought to
be. Noting the CD is comprised of more than 100 countries,
Faquira indicated the GRM would prefer a working group
relatively smaller and more specialized to a larger, more
inclusive body.


2. Faquira reported he would attend the upcoming ministerial
in Santiago, with Vice Minister of State Administration
Carmelita Namashulua serving as delegation head. Contrary to
our earlier report on this meeting (ref B), Vice Minister of
Foreign Affairs Henrique Banze will not attend.
LALIME