Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL776
2006-12-28 16:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

NDI IN THE GAMBIA: EXPLORING POLITICAL SPACE

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KDEM KMCA GA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5738
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0776/01 3621613
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281613Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7206
INFO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP PRIORITY
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000776 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KMCA GA
SUBJECT: NDI IN THE GAMBIA: EXPLORING POLITICAL SPACE

REF: A. BANJUL 729 AND PREVIOUS


B. BANJUL 699

BANJUL 00000776 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Poloff Menaka M. Nayyar, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000776

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KMCA GA
SUBJECT: NDI IN THE GAMBIA: EXPLORING POLITICAL SPACE

REF: A. BANJUL 729 AND PREVIOUS


B. BANJUL 699

BANJUL 00000776 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Poloff Menaka M. Nayyar, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------------
SUMMARY
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1. (C) In preparation for the January 25, 2007 National
Assembly elections, representatives from the National
Democratic Institute (NDI) conducted Training of Trainers
sessions on election observation with the three main
political parties/coalitions December 15-21. The reps found
all three parties/coalitions generally disorganized and
assessed the level of political sophistication among
political as well as civil society groups in The Gambia as
woefully lacking. Their findings highlighted the depth of
the need in The Gambia for ongoing support if progress is to
be made in strengthening the country's democratic
institutions. Accordingly, areas for collaboration between
UNDP and NDI are being negotiated, and Post, which plans to
submit a proposal for a ESF-funded project involving NDI, is
also discussing further opportunities for funding NDI
ventures with members of the international donor community in
The Gambia. Despite some resistance from some members of the
Gambian Independent Electoral Commission (IEC),which
fiercely guards its mandate, particularly as regards
election-related training, Gambian political parties could
benefit significantly from NDI's involvement in country. END
SUMMARY

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NDI RETURNS
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2. (C) On December 19, Ambassador Stafford, DCM, and Poloff
met with Sidi Diawara, NDI Country Director for Cote
d'Ivoire, and Makram Ouaiss, NDI's Washington-based Deputy
Regional Director for Central and West Africa, to discuss
both the Training of Trainers sessions (ToTs) conducted by
NDI and the general political situation in The Gambia. The
reps' visit -- the third by an NDI team since October (ref A)
-- was geared towards fostering effective pollwatching by the
three major political parties/coalitions -- the ruling
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC),
the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) alliance, and

the opposition National Alliance for Democracy and
Development (NADD) coalition -- during the January 25, 2007
National Assembly elections. The trainings placed particular
focus on adherence to the "code of good conduct" that is
contained in the February 2006 Memorandum of Understanding
brokered amongst the parties.

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AN UNSOPHISTICATED POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
--------------


3. (C) The NDI team was able to hold ToT sessions with each
political party coalition, but professed surprise at what
they saw as all three parties' levels of "disorganization" --
relative to other parties NDI had worked with in Africa --
including the ruling APRC, despite their resource advantage.
While party agents were reportedly enthusiastic about and
receptive to the trainings, NDI reps expressed the need for
follow-up efforts to ensure the lessons would "stick." The
NDI team also was struck by the perceived lack of action by
both the opposition parties, whose often-voiced frustration
with the current regime was seen as yielding little more than
hand-wringing. The NDI reps also viewed Gambian civil
society as lacking dynamism, saying it seemed stymied by fear
of government repression or retaliation. The NDI reps sensed
that the political parties were "waiting for the
international community to rescue them."


4. (C) When asked about the relative political situation in
The Gambia compared to other countries in the region, NDI
reps disclosed that they felt The Gambia was among the "least
democratic" in West Africa, with the least sophisticated and
organized political parties and civil society in the
subregion. The level of civic education is abysmal,
according to the NDI team, and Gambians seem to value the
"peace and prosperity" platform of President Jammeh's APRC
over the "democracy and empowerment" stance of the opposition
coalitions. As a result, the reps said, The Gambia had a
considerable way to go in the process of democratization.

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NEEDED GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT IN THE WORKS
--------------


5. (SBU) The NDI reps were not daunted, however, by their

BANJUL 00000776 002.2 OF 002


analysis of the political environment in The Gambia. They
stated their commitment to continuing work in The Gambia on
capacity-building efforts with the political parties and
possibly the National Assembly, and to increase political
participation through improved civic education. The NDI reps
said members of political parties had requested that NDI set
up an office in The Gambia, adding, though, that was unlikely
in the near future due to lack of resources. (COMMENT: Post
is exploring options with other donors for collaborative
democracy-strengthening projects with NDI in The Gambia and
will report on any developments accordingly. We also intend
to submit a proposal for an ESF-funded project involving NDI.
END COMMENT)


6. (SBU) Representatives from UNDP's governance program
hailed NDI's latest work in The Gambia as successful and
revealed plans to conduct UNDP-funded step-down trainings
with NDI representatives in the near future. A source at
UNDP indicated to Poloff an interest in further collaboration
among UNDP, Post, and NDI, either with funding from UNDP
itself or other donors in country. (NOTE: The UNDP
governance team is currently developing and conducting
training with Gambian civil society groups, building upon
Post's FY06 DHRF grant for domestic election observation
training. END NOTE)

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FRICTION WITH THE IEC
--------------


7. (C) However, not all players were pleased with NDI's
visit. In a December 22 meeting of the Steering Committee
for Electoral Assistance Project, made up of the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) and members of the donor
community, the chairman of the IEC indicated coolness toward
further involvement by NDI in election-related trainings.
However, though the IEC is very protective of activities it
deems to be within its remit, particularly with regard to
training and voter and civic education (ref B),the IEC's
vice-chairman succeeded in softening the chairman's negative
outlook toward NDI and eliciting his acquiescence in further
IEC/NDI dialog. The vice-chairman echoed the sentiments of
the donor community by pointing out the distinction between
the IEC's role of training political party agents in narrow,
technical matters related to the election process and NDI's
much broader role of fostering general political development.



8. (C) Asked to comment on the IEC chairman's anti-NDI
outlook, an NDI representative noted in a private email to
Poloff that the chairman has a "completely different and
awkward understanding" of the role of an electoral
commission, and hinted that the IEC was taking a "partisan"
(i.e. pro-ruling party APRC) approach to its mandate. (NOTE:
This observation has been voiced by several sources, both
domestic and international. END NOTE)

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COMMENT: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
--------------


9. (C) NDI's determination to continue its work in The
Gambia -- despite what it sees as the especially challenging
local political and civic environment -- is heartening, and
the links being forged between UNDP and NDI are steps in the
right direction. NDI's proposed further involvement in The
Gambia may produce further strains with the IEC, but for now,
at least, there appears to be enough support from the
vice-chairman of the IEC and the donor community to carry
subsequent projects forward. Post continues to support the
work of NDI in The Gambia and will explore further areas of
possible cooperation and support -- whether under an ESF
project of otherwise -- with a long-term outlook aimed at
strengthening both political parties and legislative
institutions, particularly the National Assembly. END COMMENT
STAFFORD