DRC ELECTIONS: CIAT DISMAYED BY POLITICIZATION OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001238 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPKO CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: CIAT DISMAYED BY POLITICIZATION OF VOTE COUNT REF: A. KINSHASA 1231 ¶B. KINSHASA 1223 ¶1. (U) The International Committee to Accompany the Transition (CIAT) issued a declaration August 3 expressing its "dismay" over the "flagrant politicization" of the vote counting process after the DRC's July 30 presidential and legislative elections. The CIAT statement comes after a similar communique was released August 1 (ref b) that condemned the "abusive exploitation" of misleadingly announcing partial vote counts. ¶2. (U) The CIAT met for the third time in four days on August 3 to discuss the conduct of some of the presidential candidates in the post-election period. As reported reftel, Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba's privately-owned television and radio stations have been broadcasting selected, partial results purporting to show that Bemba won the July 30 presidential contest. Television channels associated with President Joseph Kabila have also been announcing voting results from eastern DRC showing Kabila winning by wide margins in that part of the country. Meanwhile, Vice President Azarias Ruberwa continues to allege the July 30 vote was marred by fraud, and delivered a new statement to the Independent Electoral Commission outlining a host of "irregularities" witnessed during the vote. ¶3. (U) The CIAT declaration notes as well that various media outlets have contributed to the politicization of the post-election environment by "bombarding" the Congolese with incomplete -- and sometimes inaccurate -- voting results. It notes that no one but the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) has the authority to release preliminary voting results, and that the Commission will do so no later than August 20 for the presidential race. ¶4. (SBU) Immediately after approving the declaration, all 16 members of the CIAT met with Vice President Bemba the evening of August 3 and later than night with Vice President Ruberwa. CIAT chiefs of mission will meet with Vice President Z'ahidi Ngoma August 4, and have a pending request to meet with President Kabila. CIAT will also meet on August 4 with the High Media Authority and with editors-in-chief of local media. ¶5. (U) Post's unofficial translation of the CIAT declaration from the original French follows: DECLARATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE TO ACCOMPANY THE TRANSITION (CIAT) Barely four days after the historic voting of July 30, the CIAT is dismayed to see a flagrant politicization of the counting process on the part of Congolese politicians, a process that has only technical and logistical attributes. The media are facilitating and amplifying this phenomenon by bombarding the public with random figures. The politicization and subsequent war of figures instills the population with tension, threatens public order, and the security of citizens and their property. As such the CIAT reiterates the following: -- The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) is still in the process of gathering and counting the results of the elections. It has declared that it will publish provisional results for the first round of presidential elections by August 20 at the latest; -- As such, no one, absolutely no one, has complete or reliable results from the first round of results at this stage. Those results offered by the media represent, at best, only partial indications that may vary significantly in their character according to their origins; -- The CEI alone is permitted to publish preliminary results. No one else may do so, under penalty of law; -- The Supreme Court is the only institution permitted to validate the CEI's preliminary results; -- The dissemination of slanted figures and false predictions gives rise to confusion and not fact. The CIAT reminds the media that they carry a heavy responsibility with regard to the people, to the law and to history. Any measure used to incite hatred or violence is punishable by law; and -- The CIAT calls on the CEI to regularly inform the public on the progress of the collection and counting procedures including any difficulties that they might encounter. On July 30, the Congolese people showed the entire world its KINSHASA 00001238 002 OF 002 maturity and civility by going to the polls in peace and calm. The CIAT demands the same patience and calm from Congolese politicians during the waiting period before the CEI announces preliminary results of the presidential elections. In view of the higher interests of the nation as a whole, it invites them to accept the results of the ballot boxes and to turn only to the available legal framework in the case of contested results. Violence and calls to violence are punishable by law. (The CIAT is composed of the five member states of the UN Security Council (China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia),South Africa, Angola, Belgium, Canada, Gabon, Zambia, the African Union (Commission and presidency),the European Union (Commission and presidency), and MONUC.) MEECE