HONDURAN ELECTIONS: INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002254

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL/PHD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN AND DCHA/DG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN ELECTIONS: INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS
EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT SUPREME ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL

REF: Tegucigalpa 2253 and previous


1. Summary: During an October 19 meeting with EmbOffs, USAID-
financed international election consultants working with the
Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) expressed concerns
about the TSE's ability to properly conduct the Honduran
general election to be held on November 27, 2005. However,
the consultant said they still expected the elections to be
held without major problems. End Summary.


2. During an October 19 meeting between PolOffs and AIDOffs,
election consultants, and international donors at USAID in
Tegucigalpa, five weeks before the general elections are to
take place, Rafael Lopez Pintor, an IFES elections consultant
assisting the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE),expressed
concern about the TSE's lack of institutional maturity and
development despite the recent experience of conducting
primary elections held on February 20. Lopez Pintor
indicated that political gamesmanship between the parties is
a key factor limiting the effectiveness of the TSE and its
ability to make rapid decisions.


3. Lopez Pintor said he considers the TSE administratively
weak and lacking necessary organizational resources to
properly conduct the upcoming general election on November

27. Lopez Pintor stated that the TSE needs to focus on
improving its organizational structure, documenting
processes, strengthening internal management controls, and
restructuring the data center's information management
system. As an example, Lopez Pintor pointed out the liberal
access unauthorized people had within the TSE workspace.
However, for Lopez Pintor, the most alarming and critical
issue is the unpreparedness of the data center. With the
election coming on November 27, the data center has still not
yet been able to fully purge February's primary election
data. If this situation is not corrected by Election Day,
there will be insufficient space to process general election
data.


4. Lopez Pintor said he also considers it urgent to employ a
contractor to spearhead a quick vote count program that would
allow for the announcement of preliminary results of the
presidential race on election night. Information technology,
logistical, and other staff personnel have been identified,
with the exception of the lead analyst, who would undertake a
sampling analysis from over 1,600 polling stations. The
majority of consultants working with the TSE agree with Lopez
Pintor on the critical importance of a quick count effort.
Some have suggested a candidate to undertake this particular
task: Jose Alberto Murillo, Colombia's Election Registry
Director.


5. The Organization of American States (OAS) principal
elections consultant, Fernando Lezama, said that the national
census of new and previously unregistered voters had been
completed and included in the final election rolls that will
be provided to local election monitors. Lezama further
stated that voter domicile transfer requests (from one
department to another) were completed with minor
difficulties. The deadline for citizens to change their
residency, or domicile, in order to cast a ballot in a
particular location has expired.


6. PolOffs expressed concern to Lezama regarding the lack of
controls at the National Registry of Persons (RNP),
especially with regards to stolen identities. The Liberal
Party has complained about irregularities with more than
10,000 forms where both the applicant's photograph was
missing and where the applicant was not clear about his/her
planned voting location. PolOffs urged the OAS consultant to
be alert to the possibility of imposters attempting to use
the RNP to obtain false identities for the purpose of
electoral fraud.

Williard