INEC'S LACKLUSTER PERFORMANCE UNDERPINS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001086 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON/PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM NI SUBJECT: INEC'S LACKLUSTER PERFORMANCE UNDERPINS SENSITIVITY ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SCRUTINY Classified By: Ambassador Campbell for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: While the debate at the Nigerian National Assembly about the third term continues to grab the spotlight, the equally important issue of technical preparation for elections is beginning to emerge out of the shadows. With less than a year to go before elections, INEC is still sending mixed signals about how the elections in 2007 will be conducted. In addition, INEC's initial pilot voter registration exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was a failure and revealed fundamental flaws which, if not addressed, are likely to have a negative impact on the organization and conduct of the 2007 elections. -------------- -------------- IWU'S WASHINGTON VISIT: SENSITIVITIES AND INSIGHTS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) During a regular meeting of the elections working group hosted by the AMB on May 4 and attended by representatives of USAID, the National Democratic Institute (NDI),the International Republican Institute (IRI),and the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES),the democracy partners assessed Iwu visits to their respective headquarters in Washington and delivered a verdict on the pilot voter registration process. ¶3. (C) In most of his meetings in Washington, INEC Chairman Maurice Iwu gave a generally upbeat assessment of the process and preparation for the 2007 elections. He indicated that INEC had received half of its funding, that a pilot voter registration was underway in the capital area, and that his pet project, electronic voting would also undergo pilot testing soon. The on the ground reality, however, is less upbeat. ¶4. (C) This provided the backdrop to the tense meetings Iwu had in Washington with NDI and IRI. Both institutes are increasingly focusing on problems with electoral preparations, and the tough questions posed by their Washington representative led to contentious meetings. He accused NDI and IRI, in separate meetings, of being biased and irrelevant. The exchanges, left the Washington based leadership of both institutes feeling insulted. ¶5. (C) Both institutes attribute the tension to increased sensitivity about the upcoming elections and the international scrutiny it will bring. NDI, for example was denied permission to meet with state electoral commissioners during their pre-electoral assessment scheduled for the week of May 10-13, and Iwu also wanted NDI to postpone the trip indefinitely. NDI declined and the meeting degenerated into a shouting match, according to the NDI director. Iwu told the IRI head office that he was unaware of its work with political parties, despite having attended some of IRI's events and received copies of their scope of work documents. ¶6. (C) The International Foundation for Elections Systems (IFES),on the other hand, had a less contentious meeting with Iwu according to the country director's account. Close questioning on the details of INEC's preparation indicated, however, that Iwu was uneasy about international scrutiny, and that this was likely the basis for the proposed establishment of an international advisory committee for INEC which could help to circumvent scrutiny and blunt criticism, the IFES director believes. ¶7. (C) In close questioning in Washington, Iwu told IFES staff that given the technical realities involved in introducing e-voting in Nigeria, the 2007 elections would in all likelihood be done using a paper ballot. Despite this private acknowledgments to the election experts at IFES, Iwu is telling others that voting machines will undergo pilot testing soon in Abuja, and at least one American vendor, Sequoia Systems, is in Abuja from May 10-13 to meet with INEC about the possibility of supplying electronic voter machines. ¶8. (C) With regards to INEC's budget, Iwu revealed to IFES staff that the 50% budget allocation he touted was for INEC's operating expenses and did not include any money for the crucial capital expenditures needed to actually purchase the equipment and supplies needed to run an election. -------------- VOTER'S REGISTRATION IN THE FCT -------------- ABUJA 00001086 002 OF 002 ¶9. (C) In keeping with the sensitivity about scrutiny, INEC denied IFES permission to formally observe the pilot voter registration exercise, saying "we don't want to be assessed." As a result, IFES, IRI and NDI all resorted to informal observation, primarily using Nigerian staff to get a sense of how the process went. All democracy partners agreed that the pilot was a failure because of inadequate staff training, a lack of publicity about the exercise, low voter turnout and technical and logistical problems (including insufficient and inoperative batteries for the cameras). ¶10. (C) The registration exercise in the FCT will have to be redone, according to the IFES director. He said that despite the poor performance the failed voter registration exercise could provide valuable lessons for the larger, three-part national voter registration later this year. This can only happen, he said, if INEC acknowledges its mistakes and draws the appropriate lessons. ¶11. (C) Comment: INEC, as its Chairman publicly admitted in April, is laboring in the shadow of the failed elections of ¶2003. The lack of technical preparedness and the lingering perception that INEC is not truly independent has greatly affected its credibility with Nigerian voters. So far, Iwu and INEC, especially with the double talk about electronic voting, have done little to overcome any of these formidable problems. CAMPBELL