OAS EOM POSITIVE ON NICARAGUAN ELECTIONS

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002286 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN AND USOAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM EAID OAS NU SUBJECT: OAS EOM POSITIVE ON NICARAGUAN ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS REF: MANAGUA 1593 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The technical team leading the OAS' electoral observation mission (EOM) in Nicaragua appeared generally positive during a recent briefing regarding preparations for the November 5 national elections, although they noted some areas of concern. Technical mission chief Patricio Gajardo confirmed that the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) will soon complete production and distribution (to its local branches) of approximately 400,000 voting documents. The EOM has also received complaints from the Liberal political parties regarding the use of the National Stadium as a data collection point for Managua and reports of irregularities concerning the training of voting station officials. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The OAS briefed representatives from countries contributing to the EOM on October 11. According to the OAS, the CSE plans to have completed delivery of 214,000 "documentos supletorios" (temporary voting documents) and 180,000 cedulas (national/voter ID cards) to the Municipal Electoral Councils (CEMs) by October 13. The OAS confirmed that, unlike previous elections, the CSE has no plan to distribute voting documents beyond the CEMs. (Comment: Many voters in remote areas are unable to bear the expense of traveling to their CEM to retrieve their voting documents. In past elections, the CSE has made efforts to distribute the uncollected documents door-to-door. Even though IFES has offered to provide a bus and motorcycles for CSE officials to travel to rural areas, the CSE has not shown any willingness to accommodate voters who cannot collect their cedula or documento supletorio at the CEMs. Several political parties have denounced the CSE's unwillingness to come up with a more comprehensive distribution plan. End Comment.) ¶3. (SBU) The CSE also told the OAS representatives that the Council has completed 90 percent of requests for observer status from international and national observation groups. The OAS team agreed to follow up on complaints from national observers that the CSE has not guaranteed them access to the CEDs, CEMs, or vote computation centers. (Note: The OAS has been aware of this issue for some time -- see reftel. End Note.) ¶4. (SBU) Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC) and Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) officials told OAS observers that they do not want the CSE to designate the National Stadium as the central collection point for vote results in the department of Managua as it will be too crowded, and the FSLN could delay submission of results if it is behind in the vote tallies on election day. The PLC and ALN prefer to submit results at the voting centers themselves, or at more dispersed and convenient locations. ¶5. (SBU) The OAS also noted problems with the IFES-sponsored training for JRV (voting station) officials. Many CEMs have not submitted their registries of JRV members in a timely manner. Some parties have complained that other parties (specifically the Sandinista Renovation Movement and Alternative for Change) have submitted the same names for multiple positions -- supposedly because they do not have enough people to fill all of the JRV slots they were allotted. The OAS reported, however, that the JRV suplentes (alternates) are receiving the training, although each party is only allowed to accredit a number of suplentes equal to 10 percent of the total number of primary JRV officials allotted to that party in a specific department (although the suplentes may serve at any JRV in that department). ¶6. (SBU) Comment: After the briefing, OAS EOM officials informed Emboffs that the EOM would not be able to accommodate 20 Amcits in the EOM, even though they acknowledged initially agreeing to this number months ago. They explained that their superiors in the OAS had insisted that the EOM allocate only 10 spaces for each nationality, although they were willing to make a "special exception" for the U.S. and authorized 15 spaces. Emboffs resolved the conflict by asking the EOM officials to register the "extra" Amcits under their dual nationalities (some are foreign-born spouses of mission personnel). TRIVELLI