IWU ENDORSES USG STATEMENTS ON ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002890 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM NI ELECTIONS SUBJECT: IWU ENDORSES USG STATEMENTS ON ELECTIONS REF: A. ABUJA 2077 ¶B. ABUJA 2842 Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Chairman of INEC Maurice Iwu painted a rosy picture of preparations for Nigeria's 2007 elections, singling out statements from the Embassy as helpful to the process. He said that the earlier registration practice runs had been successful and that the main registration process was now "on track" with no problems ahead. Iwu also told the Ambassador that the lack of public relations activity was by choice, but that citizens did not appear to have an interest in the process. He complained about the current crop of politicians, commenting on previous irregularities and saying that many, "especially in the National Assembly," needed to be changed. GENERAL COOPERATION -------------- ¶2. (U) In an October 30 meeting with the Ambassador, Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) Maurice Iwu struck a rosy tone in spite of the many criticisms of INEC. He said that the complaints that there was "not enough time to finish all its tasks" were not new and that in fact, "the same thing happened to my predecessor." He also assessed the support provided by NGOs as very useful and said that IFES is "fully engaged in the process." That said, he continued that NDI and IRI "need to coordinate their activites more closely with INEC." He was effusive in describing the statements of the USG as "very helpful" and encouraged the Ambassador to continue talking publicly about the process. "Nigerians should understand that elections are not merely internal, but concern the international community." Iwu also expressed his concern about the recent airline disaster and the loss of the Sultan of Sokoto. He said that the "Sultan was a friend and gave a lot of support to INEC." REGISTRATION PROCESS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Iwu said that the July pilot registration went well and provided the basis for a successful open registration period (ref A). A "special registration" period that began on October 7 was also "very successful" and Iwu showed two sample ward voters lists to the Ambasador. He highlighted the advantage of the electronic machines , pointing out that "there is no time lag" for processing. Iwu claimed that INEC had deployed 2000 machines for the kickoff of the "main registration" period on October 25. "We expect the full complement of 33000 machines in place by Novemeber 15," he said. Iwu promised that the final list will be out by February 14. ¶4. (SBU) As a backup, Iwu continued, registrars are also filling out a paper registration at the same time that the electronic registration was going and that copies of the paper form are left at the polling station. Iwu said that INEC had decided that the registration machines were "no longer necessary" for each polling place during elections. "They are ony needed for validating the register," he said. He said that double registration would be eliminated before election day and that they are "adapting the software" from the machines to run on "normal laptops" to further augment the expensive handheld equipment. Iwu said INEC hoped to move to a continuous registry after the 2007 elections. He reminded the Ambassador that it was to have happened after 2003, "but the database was corrupted." ¶5. (C) Iwu said that even though the GON project office (the due process office) blocked payment to the companies supplying the registration machines, INEC has "enough money and machines" to complete the electoral process. "INEC is committed to the project," Iwu averred, because "if we go back we would have the same thing as Rivers State in 2003," i.e., more voters than registrants. PROBLEMS? -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Iwu said that the "little publicity" that INEC has put out has "had a great impact." Still, he said, it was a difficult thing for now but INEC had chosen to "start slowly" ABUJA 00002890 002 OF 002 and planned to intensify "in the next couple of weeks." Sometime after the November 8 formal notice of the polls, "we will launch the "public kick-off." ¶7. (C) Discussing other aspects of the elections, Iwu chose not to discuss potential problems raised by the release of the National Census close to election day. He assured the Ambassador that "the census will present no particular problem because it won't affect the registration and there will be no redistricting before elections." He then explained that one of INEC's principle jobs, monitoring campaign finance, was done "primarily through the newspapers" and did not suggest that plans exist to augment this. ¶8. (C) Iwu then turned to the political climate throughout Nigeria. He said he was concerned about the electoral climate in Plateau state where "we should have held a by-election this weekend." Iwu explained that a by-election was necessary "to replace the State Assembly members who changed parties." "If they decamp, they give up their seats," he said. When asked about the politicians in Jigawa state that switched parties, he said that "nobody complained, so INEC doesn't have a role there." ¶9. (C) Iwu then went on to state that people currently in government "did not come in in the normal way." The commitment to democracy is not there among them. "We need a new crop of politicians, especially in the National Assembly," he said For the current politicians, "election time is harvest time," a time to make money. Iwu said he had been under a lot of (unspecified) pressure to "bias the process." "The murders now are a result of the 2003 experience," he said. He blamed most of the killings in Rivers State and throughout the delta region on gangs of the governors' and other politcians' "own thugs" attacking their former masters and the general public. "This is what makes our program on electoral violence important," he stated. ¶10. (C) Still, Iwu said that there is "no threat to successful elections." Everything is on track and there is nothing more that INEC needs to complete the process. "We have the budget and the equipment. The only thing left is ordering ballot boxes and papers." Still, he said it is troubling that "citizen involvement is low and the public is not participating." ¶11. (C) COMMENT: Iwu's take on the upcoming elections and INEC's performance to date conflicts directly with that of the NGOs which we support financially (ref B). His rosy description of the process and the respect INEC receives can only be explained by one of two things: either he is uninformed as to the true situation or he is playing a role as scripted by the highest levels of Nigeria's government. In either case, the outcome of the registration exercise is an enormous hurdle for him and for INEC. The continued apparent lack of coordination and effort to ensure timely elections in 2007 is already causing a lack of faith in the electoral system throughout Nigeria. If this lack of faith continues, INEC as an institution could very well have sown the seeds of its own doom whether or not election results in April turn out to be acceptable. CAMPBELL