SLOW START FOR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 001283

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: SLOW START FOR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGNS


Classified By: Charge D'Affairs Kimberly DeBlauw for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Constituent Assembly campaign is off to
an unimpressive start; campaign season opened May 2 but
political parties, perhaps taking their cues from a fatigued
electorate, or perhaps hindered by a lack of funding, have
done little to educate voters about their candidates or
positions. The MAS is planning to kick off its campaign in
the Chapare on May 18 with "the most impressive event the MAS
has organized to date," with honored guests Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez and Peruvian presidential hopeful
Ollanta Humala. Overworked National Electoral Court (CNE)
officials continue to be cognizant of scrutiny from the
executive branch, but are striving to deliver the July 2
Constituent Assembly election on a tight budget. CNE
President Salvador Romero reports that the
Venezuelan-sponsored drive to issue identification documents
to marginalized Bolivians and to register them to vote for
MAS candidates in the July election had minimal impact. End
summary.


2. (C) The Constituent Assembly (CA) campaign is off to an
unimpressive start; campaign season opened May 2 but
political parties, perhaps taking their cues from a fatigued
electorate (due to the December national elections),or
perhaps hindered by a lack of funding, have done little to
educate voters about their candidates or positions. While
Congress recently approved state funding for political
parties competing in the CA election, political party
insiders tell us that they will have to use the funding to
pay outstanding debts from the December election instead of
for the current campaign.


3. (C) While opposition political parties struggle to
organize, the MAS will kick off its campaign in the Chapare
on May 18 with "the most impressive event the MAS has
organized to date," with honored guests Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez and Peruvian presidential hopeful Ollanta Humala.
Organizers are planning for over 100,000 persons to attend--
cocaleros, government officials and select ambassadors-- all
to hear Chavez (and perhaps a Cuban representative) share
their "experiences" regarding constituent assemblies and
nationalization of natural resources.


4. (C) Overworked National Electoral Court (CNE) officials
continue to be cognizant of scrutiny from the executive
branch, but are striving to deliver the July 2 Constituent
Assembly election on a tight budget. Two of the three
remaining justices cited political pressure from the
executive branch as a cause for concern, and told us that
former CNE President Oscar Hassenteufel resigned because of
such pressure. The justices said they have the minimal
resources necessary to organize the July 2 election (thanks
in part to support from Holland and Canada),but that they
could do more with more. They report that the GOB has not
yet invited observers, but that they expect European Union
and OAS observers to participate. (NOTE: The GOB has
expressed interest in EU observers, but it's unclear whether
a formal invitation has been issued. END NOTE). The
International Organization of Migration has also expressed
interest in sending an observer mission. CNE President
Romero found their interest odd, but said all observers are
welcome.


5. (C) Romero also said the Venezuelan-sponsored drive to
issue identification documents to marginalized Bolivians and
to register them to vote for MAS candidates in the July
election had a minimal impact. Minister of Government Alicia
Munoz told poloff separately that the GOB had issued carnets
to 45,000 Bolivians, but that the program had run out of
money. Comment: Since the deadline for voter registration
has passed, there is little GOB (or GOV) incentive to
continue the program. End comment.
DEBLAUW