CHAD: REQUEST FOR UN ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 001649

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICAWATCHERS, DEPT FOR AF/C, DRL, INR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM CD
SUBJECT: CHAD: REQUEST FOR UN ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE


1. (SBU) Summary: The final version of a UN report on
Chad's electoral needs released to donors November 4
concluded that the national institutions responsible for
managing elections lacked independence, that the most recent
electoral census was not credible and that the recent
amendments to the constitution represented a backwards step
in Chad's democratic evolution. Looking ahead to future
elections (local, legislative and presidential) scheduled
between now and the spring of 2006, the UN report concluded
that it was imperative to revise the electoral code and to
review the voter registration rolls. The UNDP Resident
Representative (ResRep) informed donors that absent concrete,
verifiable steps taken by the government to reach a consensus
with opposition parties and civil society on steps needed to
create a credible electoral process, the UN would not seek to
mobilize international support for future elections. Donors
based in Chad were skeptical that the Government of Chad was
interested in engaging in such a dialogue. End summary.


2. (SBU) UNDP ResRep Kingsley Amaning invited major donors
(U.S., Germany, France and EC) to a meeting November 4 to
discuss the GOC request for assistance with elections in
2005-2006. Amaning provided to donors a copy of the findings
of an April 2005 visit by a UN Department of Political
Affairs (DPA) team. The DPA report, prompted by the GOC
request for assistance with the June 2006 referendum, drew
the following conclusions: the national institutions
responsible for managing elections lacked independence, the
most recent electoral census was not credible and the
proposed changes to the constitution represented a backwards
step in Chad's democratic evolution. Even had the assistance
for the referendum been requested sufficiently in advance,
the UN would have declined to support the process.


3. (SBU) Looking ahead to future elections (local,
legislative and presidential) scheduled between now and the
spring of 2006, the UN report stated that it was imperative
to revise the electoral code and to review the voter
registration rolls. A new electoral census might be
necessary given that the most recent census appeared to
overstate the number of eligible voters by about one million.
The report also stressed the need for this to take place in
the context of a dialogue between the Government, political
parties and civil society; failure to do so ran the risk of
having opposition parties boycott future elections.


4. (SBU) Amaning reported to donors that UNDP recognized
that the UN has an important responsibility to help move the
country towards democracy. At the same time, the country was
a long way from fulfilling the conditions necessary for free
and fair elections. Amaning stressed that UNDP needed
confirmation that the government and other political actors
were willing to take the steps necessary toward that common
goal. If progress was demonstrated, the UN would seek to
mobilize the international community and provide financing
for elections.


5. (SBU) In the meantime, Amaning stated that UNDP intended
to proceed with the visit of a technical group to study the
electoral rolls and provide recommendations on specific
action necessary to restore credibility to the rolls. He
intended to strongly encourage the government to open a
dialogue with all political parties and civil society in
order to achieve common ground on certain key issues,
specifically: restoring credibility to the voter rolls and
revising the electoral code to ensure independence of the
national institutions charged with election oversight.
Amaning stated that if the government and partners could
reach a consensus on these steps, the UN stood ready to
assist in supporting them. Absent progress, they would not.


6. (SBU) Donors present supported the UNDP approach,
expressing at the same time doubt as to the possibility of a
"dialogue" reaching a consensus and whether the government
was genuinely interested in such a dialogue. EC Rep Phillipe
Thomas noted that the EC was bound by the Cotonou agreement
which stipulated a dialogue and respect for human rights as
pre-conditions to providing assistance. He also opined that
there was not enough time to take the steps necessary for
credible elections in the timetable envisaged by the
government.


7. (SBU) EmbOff noted that support for elections was one of
the few "carrots" available to the international community,
and that donors needed to be judicious in extending this
assistance. She recalled that the government already claimed
to have started a dialogue with the opposition parties, and
that, if this was a pre-condition, the UN needed to be clear
about what expectations were for the dialogue. Amaning
clarified that the UN did not envisage a "national forum" as
requested by the coalition of opposition parties (French
acronym CPDC),but they did need to see concrete evidence of
consensus on the steps necessary to make the electoral
process acceptable to all parties. Amaning agreed that the
current "dialogue" could not be accurately described as such;
rather it might be considered a "pre-dialogue."

Comment:


8. (SBU) Amaning had provided Ambassador earlier an unedited
version of the UN report which stated bluntly that any UN
support for elections in Chad needed to be carefully
coordinated with the international community in order to
avoid having the UN be seen as an "accomplice of the
government." The unedited report also strongly condemned the
move to revise the constitution and described the government
as widely seen as a "vampire" living off of oil resources and
leaving the international community to attend to Chad's basic
needs. The final report uses more judicious language but
pulls no punches in coming out against election support under
current circumstances. We, and other donors here, are of the
same view.


9. Minimized Considered

WALL


NNNN