PRESIDENT KABBAH ANNOUNCES JULY 28, 2007 FOR

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000630 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SL SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KABBAH ANNOUNCES JULY 28, 2007 FOR ELECTIONS REF: FREETOWN 499 ¶1. (U) On August 3, President Kabbah announced Saturday, July 28, 2007 as the date for presidential and parliamentary elections. ¶2. (U) Citing constitutional requirements for presidential and parliamentary elections, Kabbah has selected July 28, 2007 as a date on which both presidential and parliamentary elections can be held simultaneously. Kabbah's address highlighted Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) preparation of a code of conduct for political parties and National Electoral Commission (NEC) development of approved topics to be debated. The topics, Kabbah said, will be "only on national development issues and issues which will promote national cohesion" that will in turn "help create a healthy campaign environment for discussion of subjects relevent to national development." Such an issues-based dialogue, Kabbah said, will allow voters the "opportunity to choose candidates according to the respective party programs." ¶3. (U) Kabbah also appealed to voters to help the government maintain a safe environment for the elections. "I would like to appeal to all Sierra Leoneans...to see the forthcoming elections not as a warfare between warlords but purely as a friendly contest." In this way, political differences can be resolved through dialogue, he said. ¶4. (U) The official campaign period will be announced by the NEC. Kabbah emphasized that the declaration of the election date does not mean the start of political campaign activities. In a separate public statement, NEC Executive Commissioner Christiana Thorpe buttressed this, saying that she intends to work with the Chief Justice to punish political parties who are violating the PPRC code of conduct by campaigning before the official campaign period begins. ¶5. (U) Comment: President Kabbah has been under pressure from political parties and donors (especially the UN) to announce an election date. The July date should allow the NEC sufficient time to complete preparations, including the creation of a permanent voter's registry. We had heard that the NEC would not be able to complete all of its preparations by May 2007, which is the date Kabbah had favored earlier (see reftel). The elections will come in the middle of the rainy season, a concern for voter turnout, but logistically and financially it will be easier to hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously. ¶6. (SBU) Comment, cont: Clamping down on on early campaigning will be a challenge for the NEC, especially since the ruling SLPP is widely viewed as the most blatant violator, using its incumbency for political advantage. SLPP presidential nominee, Vice President Solomon Berewa, will travel to the U.S. on September 4 to raise funds from Sierra Leonean Americans and, no doubt, do a little early campaigning as well. HULL