CARTER CENTER ISSUES SECOND POST-ELECTION STATEMENT

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001754 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: CARTER CENTER ISSUES SECOND POST-ELECTION STATEMENT REF: KINSHASA 1746 ¶1. (SBU) In the aftermath of the incendiary claims in a November 13 statement from Cardinal Etsou attacking the integrity of the DRC elections (reftel),several international election observer groups are issuing statements of their own reasserting the positive assessments of the electoral process they made after the October 29 elections. In addition to an expected statement from the E.U. the Carter Center also plans to release a statement on November 14. Post obtained an advance copy from the Carter Center mission in Kinshasa. Text follows. ¶2. (U) Begin text: Post-Election Statement No. 2 on the Oct. 29 Presidential Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Based on its observation of vote tabulation following the October 29 presidential elections, The Carter Center election observation mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is confident the results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission are consistent with the results obtained in the polling stations. The provision of original tally sheets to candidate witnesses, combined with the publication of results by polling station, introduced a strong measure of transparency which virtually eliminated the possibility of significant fraud after the ballots were counted. In response to recent questions raised by international observers and by the representatives of both candidates who have been meeting daily with the CEI, the electoral commission has made data available to all parties regarding the use of supplemental voter lists and the lists of omitted voters on election day. Until this new data has been reviewed thoroughly to determine the scale and impact of the use of these lists, the Center believes it is premature to draw firm conclusions about the overall integrity of these election results. The Carter Center urges all election participants to refrain from making hasty judgments and to remain patient until all appeals have been considered and the final results are announced. The Center reiterates its appeal to political leaders who seek a mandate to govern the country to demonstrate that they are able to govern their own militants, media and security forces. The Carter Center continues to observe the presidential electoral process in the Congo and will do so until all appeals have been heard and the final results are confirmed. End text. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: The Carter Center's assessment should have special resonance in that Etsou singled out the "Fondation Carter" in his statement as a "credible institution." End comment. MEECE