FIGHTING THE REAL OPPOSITION IN SENEGAL -- THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 000837 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA AND DRL/PHD PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV SG SUBJECT: FIGHTING THE REAL OPPOSITION IN SENEGAL -- THE PRESS REF: 05 DAKAR 02194 Classified By: CDA Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) President Wade and his Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) have taken the unofficial pre-election campaign for the hearts and minds of potential voters to the press, and they expect the media to comply. One politician/labor activist was recently arrested after making a critical statement to the media. The PDS is also crowding out private radio stations and flooding television stations with images of Wade. Moreover, there is a growing chorus of cries by GOS officials to crack down on the media. END SUMMARY. AN ECONOMY ON ITS KNEES AND MONEY OUT THE DOOR -------------- - ¶2. (U) On March 11, Ibrahima Sene, member of the Central Committee for the Labor Party (PIT) and a key figure in the Senegalese labor movement, held a press conference during which he described several key sectors of the economy as "on their knees." He claimed that from January to October 2005, 440 billion CFA francs (CFAF) (USD 800 million) were moved from Senegal to other countries. On March 22, he was arrested and charged with dissemination of false information. He was interrogated four times and, each time, argued he was repeating information about the balance of payments that had already been publicized. A number of journalists were required to testify in the case. Issa Sall of the weekly "Nouvel Horizon," Jean Pierre Mane of the daily "L'Observateur," and George Nesta Diop of the daily "Le Matin," among others, were called as witnesses. When proceedings began March 23, representatives of all major opposition parties sat side-by-side in the courtroom to provide unified support for Sene. On March 29, charges were dropped for lack of evidence, and Sene was freed. HOW TO MAKE ONLY ONE VOICE HEARD -------------- ¶3. (U) While Senegal's media have taken their share of beatings in the past, things seem to be heating up in the run-up to 2007 elections. The GOS reacted sharply to Sene's statement. The judge in the case said Sene wanted to discredit Senegal's institutions. ¶4. (U) Yet, the PDS has gone beyond having police arrest opposition politicians who say things the PDS does not like. It has also licensed 50 or so new, pro-PDS radio stations to occupy the airwaves. These stations crowd out and effectively jam existing radio stations, such as the popular and private Sud FM, where broadcasts are now frequently interrupted by religious chanting. Television channels are also dominated, more than usual, by images of a beneficent Wade, and especially of his pet construction projects. As one provincial politician in the southern city of Kolda recently told us, "To watch national TV, you'd think all of Senegal was one gigantic public works project." In addition, the GOS has speckled the streets with billboards pushing the citizenry to do its civic duties. ¶5. (C) Perhaps more striking than the above were statements made by GOS officials to visiting Director of the Office for West African Affairs (AF/W) Phillip Carter. Habib Mbaye of the GOS agency responsible for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) proposal told Mr. Carter the press is "unchained and dangerous." He said that if the press says the wrong thing, the Government should close it down. Iba Der Thiam, First Vice-President of the National Assembly, told Mr. Carter the biggest challenge for the Assembly right now is to further regulate people, as they currently have "too much liberty." He added, with bitterness, that people can and do criticize the President and his family, "something not possible in the U.S. or anywhere else." COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) The opposition has not yet shown that it can mount a serious challenge to the PDS. Wade and his party know, however, that the media have the power to cast serious doubt on Wade's ability to lead a second term and on the PDS' ability to bring Senegal out of its economic doldrums. It looks like they may not be willing to take any chances. If GOS officials' statements are any indication, speech may become less and less unfettered as the elections get closer. END COMMENT. JACKSON