ETHIOPIA: NATIONAL ELECTION BOARD REFORMS MOVING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002123 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM ET SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: NATIONAL ELECTION BOARD REFORMS MOVING FORWARD REF: ADDIS ABABA 02032 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. On July 27, Pol/Econ Counselor and Poloff met with British election expert Hannah Roberts and Rosanna Dudziak of the UNDP to discuss progress on the reorganization and capacity building of the Ethiopian National Elections Board (NEB). In early 2006, Roberts completed a study identifying structural limitations and operational incapacities of the NEB. Roberts is currently collaborating with the NEB on a strategic plan that will enable it to better meet the challenges of the 2007 local elections, as well as federal elections in 2010. These changes will likely entail the hiring of large numbers of new staff at the beginning of 2007; the donor community plans to supply training and technological upgrades to support this effort. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- NEB IN NEED OF, AND OPEN TO, REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) Hannah Roberts, a British elections expert with significant experience in elections observation and organization, briefed Pol/Econ Counselor and Poloff on her ongoing work with the NEB. During her initial work with the NEB prior to the May 2005 federal parliamentary elections, her organization Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS),played a critical part in supporting the NEB,s capacity to administer an election with participation of over 25 million voters. Following the elections, the donor community, opposition parities, and the GoE all agreed that the NEB is one of the key areas of focus in reforms aimed at avoiding any potential future election-related controversies. ¶3. (SBU) Hannah Roberts was commissioned in early 2006 to study the strengths and weaknesses of the NEB in its present form, as well as to formulate general recommendations to address the problem areas. In her report, she identified the following problems with the current NEB: - The Secretariat is chronically under-resourced and in urgent need of organizational reform; - It has an inadequate staff and the qualifications and experience base is insufficient (NOTE. Roberts informed us there were approximately 140 employees at the central NEB offices to administer the 2005 elections. END NOTE); - The NEB is reliant upon other federal agencies for its regional representation. - The total NEB running cost for the 2005 elections were less than $0.36 per registered voter. ¶4. (SBU) Although her study found significant structural and organizational shortcomings, she reported that during her research she received full cooperation from the management of the NEB Secretariat, as well as from those at the working level and in other parts of the GoE. Roberts feels that this support is the result of &a genuine commitment and interest (on the part of the NEB) to make things better.8 In her report she notes that there is strong motivation at the senior and lower levels of the Secretariat to undertake institutional reform. In addition to regular workshops and staff meetings in order to gather information, Roberts reported having several meetings with Chairman of the NEB Board of Governors, Kemal Bedri, as well as the Acting Chief Executive of the Secretariat, Tesfaye Mengesha. ¶5. (SBU) The initial report was published in March 2006 and contained recommendations focused on the bolstering of the thin staffing levels and the training up of potential new hires, as well as the existing staff. Though she outlined in her report a new organizational structure under which the NEB would be more effective, she felt it was necessary to further develop a strategic plan for the staffing and operation of a newly structured NEB on a department-by-department basis. Roberts was subsequently engaged to develop this plan and she anticipates completion by the end of August. She informed Pol/Econ Counselor that, if approved, the new organization structure will bring the new NEB in line with international standards of effective electoral administrations. She voiced ADDIS ABAB 00002123 002 OF 002 concern that if no changes are implemented, the NEB's current structure will make future federal and local elections as problematic as those of 2005. Roberts proposed that the donor community be involved in supporting development and capital costs, particularly in the area of training and IT infrastructure. -------------- NEXT STEPS: APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In order for a recommended restructuring to become effective, it must be first approved by the Ethiopian Civil Service Commission. Following this, the required legal changes must be submitted to the Legal and Administration Affairs Standing Committee of the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives (HPR),which will reconvene in October. NEB reforms already have a place on the agenda of the ongoing dialogue between the GoE and opposition parties; the recommended restructuring plan, prior to open discussion by the HPR, will be the topic of multi-party talks similar to those that took place in June regarding parliamentary procedural reform (reftel). (NOTE: It is also anticipated that once the HPR reconvenes, a new NEB Board of Governors will also be nominated by the Prime Minister and approved by the HPR. Senior EPRDF officials have indicated that the ruling party will consult opposition leaders before naming new board members. END NOTE) ¶7. (U) Once a restructuring of the Secretariat of NEB is approved by the HPR, the NEB will then be faced with the task of staffing the numerous new positions created as a result of the restructuring. Roberts anticipates that this process will take until the beginning of 2007, at which point she feels it will be important to have training programs in place. In addition to the challenge of developing and implementing training programs, Roberts noted that the NEB Secretariat will be simultaneously preparing for the woreda SIPDIS and kebele level elections that are anticipated to take place before the end of 2007, which will be particularly challenging for the newly restructured NEB. Roberts felt that this heightens the need for donor involvement in guiding the NEB through the establishment of a solid foundation. -------------- -------------- COMMENT: NEB REFORMS ESSENTIAL TO RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Much criticism of Ethiopia's 2005 federal elections has focused on a supposedly compromised NEB board. In fact, lack of capacity at the NEB appears to have been a major problem as well. Hannah Roberts played a key role in working with the NEB during the 2005 parliamentary elections, and has continued to be an important player in the implementation of critically needed structural changes to the NEB Secretariat. Through her nonpartisan work and extensive experience, she seems to have gained the trust and confidence of the NEB leadership. A critical stage in the acceptance of her final recommendations will be the multi-party dialogue likely to occur in September. Achieving consensus on NEB reform will be essential to restoring the credibility of the NEB. Post will be engaged with ruling and opposition parties during this time to encourage cohesive and productive talks. The first test of the credibility of a newly restructured NEB will be local elections currently anticipated by the end of ¶2007. Ethiopia's democracy can ill-afford another election plagued with irregularities. HUDDLESTON