VENEZUELAN ELECTIONS WRAP UP: OBSERVERS ENDORSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 003571 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI RPORTER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2026 TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELAN ELECTIONS WRAP UP: OBSERVERS ENDORSE RESULTS REF: A. CARACAS 03477 ¶B. CARACAS 03531 CARACAS 00003571 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES FOR 1.4 (D) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The OAS, EU, and domestic NGO Ojo Electoral observation missions released on December 4 and 5 their preliminary assessments of the presidential election. All congratulated the National Electoral Council (CNE) for providing adequate electoral conditions and abiding by its agreements, despite their private battles with the board to ensure that it did so. The EU expressed absolute confidence in the integrity of the electronic voting system, although the observation mission's deputy privately admitted the mission lacked the time, experts, and access needed for a full assessment. All three groups criticized various election irregularities, such as BRV intimidation of voters, particularly public employees, illegal use of government funds for the campaign, and the futility of the fingerprint (digital scanning) machines. Chavez was reportedly upset about the contents of the EU report and unsuccessfully tried to pressure the EU to soften it. Vice Foreign Minister Valero made similar unsuccessful approaches to the OAS mission. However, thus far neither the BRV nor opposition has reacted critically to any of the reports. Final reports are expected in early 2007. End Summary. -------------- OAS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In his press conference, OAS electoral observation mission (EOM) leader Juan Enrique Fischer congratulated President Chavez on his victory and opposition challenger Manuel Rosales for his "civic behavior" and "determination to strengthen democracy in Venezuela." Fischer said the National Electoral Council (CNE) delivered on all the points of its agreement with the OAS, including ensuring the necessary participation of party representatives and observers in all phases of the electoral process. ¶3. (SBU) The EOM also released a separate, somewhat tougher statement December 4 pointing out some irregularities, such as the fingerprint machines, which it said slowed voting considerably and failed in their objective to catch people voting twice. The EOM also noted the inconsistency in voting center closing hours, which complicated and, in some cases, prohibited voting. Its general assessment was that these irregularities, while significant, did not change the outcome of the election, which was generally consistent with the OAS' quick count. Unlike the EU, the OAS EOM did not release an official preliminary report, but according to EOM members, will submit one to the OAS Permanent Council around December ¶13. --- EU --- ¶4. (C) Despite arriving only two weeks before election day and having limited technical expertise and access to audits, the EU EOM announced its full confidence in the integrity of the electronic voting system and its ability to guarantee the secrecy of the vote. While Deputy EOM leader Tom Boserup privately admitted to PolCouns the statement should probably have been caveated, he thought an unequivocal statement was important to inspire voter confidence in future elections. The mission was very critical of government attempts to intimidate civil servants into participating in President Chavez' campaign events and voting for him. They specifically cited Energy and Mines Minister and PDVSA President Rafael Ramirez' taped speech to PDVSA employees, which they said violated Venezuelan law and international treaties to which the country is party. ¶5. (C) Like the OAS, the EU also noted the fingerprint (digital scanning) machines' ineffectiveness in preventing double voting, their occasional tendency to unnecessarily delay the process, and the high degree of voter distrust they engendered. While praising the CNE for its management of the elections, EU EOM leader Monica Frassoni criticized the board CARACAS 00003571 002.2 OF 002 for being slow to sanction campaign norm violations, such as the illegal use of government funds for the campaign and the lack of balanced media coverage. Boserup and British Ambassador Lamont privately told us that EOM leader Frassoni had been summoned to President Chavez, office before the press conference and informed him of what the report would say. Chavez was apparently displeased, but unlike last year when the BRV unsuccessfully pressured the EU to cancel its press conference, Chavez said he wouldn't cause any problems. We understand from OAS EOM members that Vice Foreign Minister for North American and Multilateral Affairs Jorge Valero also made unsuccessful attempts to have the OAS soften its December 4 announcement. -------------- Ojo Electoral -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Domestic NGO Ojo Electoral, which publicly received kudos from the EU for its work, singled out many of the same issues as its international counterparts in its preliminary report released via press conference December 4 at CNE headquarters. Ojo's report also included the results of its quick count and the audits of the voting receipts that it observed, both of which were close to the actual result. Ojo said political party witnesses were present in roughly 90 percent of the centers its observers visited. The NGO called on the CNE to quickly investigate complaints about Plan Republica members' interference in the voting process. Surprisingly the preliminary report does not mention the problems Ojo had in obtaining credentials for its observers (Ref A),nor the CNE's momentary reneging on its promise to allow them access to the totalization room (Ref B). -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) The observers arguably praised the CNE a little too much, given its pro-government bias and successful hobbling of effective observation efforts, but they also did not pull their punches on key electoral issues, such as BRV intimidation and fingerprint machines. They arrived too late, and in the OAS' case, with too few members to conduct a fully effective electoral observation mission. So far neither Chavez nor the opposition has responded to the preliminary readouts, but each can find something to play to their advantage. Unfortunately, the BRV has no incentive to implement any recommendations -- after all, the BRV got away with ignoring the 2005 recommendations. Post will report separately on comparisons between last year's observer recommendations and the focus of this year's missions. WHITAKER