MANAGING THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN IN THE DRC'S

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000937 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPAO CG ELECTIONS SUBJECT: MANAGING THE MEDIA CAMPAIGN IN THE DRC'S ELECTIONS Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The GDRC has reportedly agreed to fund a much-reduced budget, which would allow the High Media Authority (HAM) to provide for minimal fair media coverage to the 33 presidential candidates. The more than 9,700 legislative and 12,300 provincial candidates, however, will likely be left to their own devices to get the attention of voters. The GDRC's decision to fund the HAM coincides with the June 10-12 visit to Kinshasa of the UNSC delegation. Should the government's promise to fund not be kept, the HAM will look to donor countries in the days before the opening of the official election campaign on June 29. HAM President Modeste Mutinga argues that his failure to assure media coverage to all 33 candidates would provide one more reason for voters to contest the election results. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Along with the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI),the High Media Authority (Haute Autorite des Medias - HAM) was created by the Sun City Accord as a guarantor institution of the DRC's new democracy, independent of government. Consistent with that role, the HAM organized a series of broadcast debates on the DRC's constitutional referendum in December 2005. The Electoral Law of 2006 mandates the HAM to provide candidates with equal access to the media during the official (30-day) campaign and make opposition to unacceptable content (arts. 33 and 35). However, as HAM President Modeste Mutinga told an ad hoc group of donor representatives on June 8, the budget for elections seems to have overlooked entirely the HAM's role. Reducing his original budget request from USD 4 million to USD 0.5 million, and focusing only on the presidential contest, Mutinga in early June appealed directly to VP Jean-Pierre Bemba, who presides over the GDRC's finances. Bemba's reply, according to Mutinga, was to suggest that the HAM get its money from the CEI, which itself has little, if any, to spare. Getting the Ear of the UNSC -------------- ¶3. (U) In his meeting with the visiting UNSC delegation on June 11 (septel),Modeste Mutinga reportedly sounded the alarm about how television and radio stations under the control of some presidential candidates - including the current president and VPs - are inciting ethnic �0A;intolerance and hatred. Mutinga reportedly cited the nefarious role of hate media in Rwanda and Ivory Coast. ¶4. (U) While the UNSC delegation was still in Kinshasa came the news that the GDRC would provide the USD 0.5 million requested by the HAM after all. According to its draft budget, this money would enable the HAM to provide each presidential candidate with two debate appearances (debating four other candidates selected by lottery) and three five-minute campaign messages, spread over 34 radio and television stations, from June 29 to July 28 when the "official" campaign period ends. The budget would also allow the HAM to monitor objectionable content of other media during this time. What About the Legislative Elections? -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In their June 8 meeting, HAM President Mutinga showed the donor representatives a stack of about 200 pages which, he said, was the schedule for debates and campaign messages the HAM had devised for the candidates for the National Assembly in Kinshasa alone. He said he had no money to photocopy the pages, let alone pay for the media access. He said he hoped a somewhat structured presidential campaign, representing the major party leaders, would somehow help keep the legislative races in tow. He said he was gratified that USAID-funded NDI was proposing to finance some selected debates among legislative candidates in the provinces. ¶6. (SBU) UN-sponsored Radio Okapi, which covers about 70 percent of the DRC, has already begun featuring candidates and debates, and its broadcasts are further picked up by about a dozen associated radio stations. Since October, in fact, Radio Okapi has given access to political KINSHASA 00000937 002 OF 002 parties. The HAM has complained that Radio Okapi has prematurely commenced its election campaign reporting. However, as Okapi Director Yves LaPlume told PAO on June 12, his radio distinguishes between the election campaign and the "official" campaign. Furthermore, he noted, especially given the number of candidates, the latter, at 30 days, is far too short and a disservice to voters. Not surprisingly, then, Radio Okapi is not among the 34 selected by the HAM to produce aspects of the official media campaigns. ¶7. (SBU) Consistent with its mandate, we have heard that the HAM also fleetingly tried to convince the international media outlets in the DRC (Agence France Presse, Reuters and others) to give equal treatment to the 33 presidential candidates in a request which was not taken seriously by them. Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Is the HAM destined to whistle in the wind? A media campaign with so many candidates (more than 9,700 legislative and 12,300 provincial candidates alone) and political parties (more than 200) is probably ungovernable by just one entity. Some observers contend that the HAM should rather limit itself to monitoring and sanctioning hate-mongering, and get out of the business of also spooning out air time in equal doses to admittedly vastly unequal candidates. Moreover, most of the serious presidential candidates have their own radio and television stations, and have started campaigning. ¶9. (SBU) Still, as Modeste Mutinga told us on June 8, if the HAM is not seen by the voters as doing what the law says it should - clock candidates' official air time and react to the contents of their speech - then that could be handing the spoilers another reason to cry foul. And as the campaign temperature rises, any attempt at orderly procedure and structure could have a calming effect. MEECE