CHAD: NEW GOVERNMENT NAMED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NDJAMENA 001070 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C, LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA-WATCHERS INFO AF/PD (CANYASO) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM CD ASEC SUBJECT: CHAD: NEW GOVERNMENT NAMED REF: NDJAMENA 1055 Classified By: DCM LUCY TAMLYN FOR REASONS 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. President Deby,s new cabinet rewards those opposition parties which participated in the May Presidential elections and subsequent "political dialogue," but makes no other gestures towards broadening Chad,s political space. The reappointment of heavyweights to the key positions of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Planning sends a message of continuity and professionalism which reverberates well with the international community. End summary. ¶2. (C) Continuity is the hallmark of the new government named by President Idriss Deby Itno a week following his inauguration for a third five-year term. Prime Minister Pascal Youdimnadji retained his post. The key ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Petroleum, Defense and Planning were not changed. Corruption watchers noted that the Minister of Moralization continues in his post, despite having ousted two sitting ministers on corruption charges last month. ¶3. (C) The former Human Rights Minister, a prominent southern human rights activist (and former exile) moved up to the more important position of Minister of Justice. The Minister of Commerce, a pharmacist by training, moved laterally to Ministry of Public Health, a position with heavy interaction with donors and the international public health community. The Minister of Health, considered a good interlocutor by EU contacts, moved to the Ministry of Education (interestingly, he is actually an educator). ¶4. (C) Of note, all political parties which had put forward candidates to run against President Deby in May,s presidential elections were given ministerial positions (none of the first rank, but then again not completely negligible.) Presidential candidate Brahim Khoulamalla is the new Minister of Tourism. Candidate Dr. Nouradine Delwa Kassire is the new Minister of Regional, Urban and Housing Development, and Pahimi Padacke Albert, Minister of Agriculture (even when running for President in May) retained his post. The fourth candidate is under investigation by the Minister of Moralization for corruption, but his party was rewarded with the Ministry of Family and Social Action. ¶5. (C) The fate of President Deby,s long-time comarade in arms and chief powerbroker, Mahamat Ali Nassour was closely watched, particularly given the rumors circulating of Nassour,s involvement with non-signatory Darfur rebel groups. Nassour received a more elevated title as "Minister of State" in his move from Territorial Administration to Mines and Energy ) not an unimportant sinecure, but one which may remove him temporarily from the spotlight (though presumably not from behind the scenes). Another MPS stalwart, Mahamat Bachir, responsible for the successful execution of May,s elections, was rewarded with the Territorial Administration Post. ¶6. (C) On the gender front, five women now occupy Ministerial positions, and several new posts were created, including Minister of Culture and Minister of Rural Waterworks. ¶7. (C) Comment: One hardly needed to read further than the re-appointment of Prime Minister Pascal Youdimnadji ) frequently disparaged in the Southern-dominated media as little more than a mouthpiece for the regime -- to recognize that nothing new was being tried in this cabinet. However, donors and representatives of international financial institutions were relieved at the retention of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Infrastructure and Planning, as these key interlocutors were widely seen as competent and professional. The World Bank, in particular, was concerned NDJAMENA 00001070 002 OF 003 that Finance Minister Tolli, viewed as a linchpin in the recent World Bank/Government of Chad (GOC) agreement on use of oil revenues, would be replaced. In other portfolios, President Deby was punctilious in rewarding those opposition parties which agreed to participate in the May elections, and which participated in the much touted &political dialogue8 (reftel). The new Cabinet, however, is a far cry from the bold experiment in opening up the political arena urged on the President privately by interlocutors ) including the United States and France. -------------- NEW GOVERNMENT -------------- ¶8. (U) GOVERNMENT OF AUGUST 15, 2006 (NEW MINISTER-LEVEL POSITIONS:* NEW TO POST:** ) ¶1. PRIME MINISTER: MR. PASCAL YOADIMNADJI ¶2. MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE: MR. ADOUM YOUNOUSMI ¶3. MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTER OF REGIONAL, URBAN AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT: DR. NOURADINE DELWA KASSIRE COUMAKOYE** ¶4. MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTER OF MINES AND ENERGY: MR. MAHAMAT ALI ABDALLAH NASSOUR** ¶5. MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND AFRICAN INTEGRATION: MR AHMED ALLAM-MI ¶6. MINISTER OF JUSTICE: MR. ABDERAMANE DJASNABAILLE** ¶7. MINISTER OF TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION: MR. AHMAT MAHAMAT BACHIR** ¶8. MINISTER OF ECONOMY, PLANNING AND COOPERATION: MR. MAHAMAT ALI HASSAN ¶9. MINISTER OF FINANCE: MR ABBAS MAHAMAT TOLLI ¶10. MINISTER OF CIVIL SERVICE, LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: MS. FATIME TCHOMBI** ¶11. MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH: MS. NGARMBATINA CARMEL SOU IV** ¶12. MINISTER OF NATIONAL EDUCATION: MR. MOUSSA KADAM** ¶13. MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: DR. OUMAR IDRISS AL-FAROUK ¶14. MINISTER OF PETROLIUM: MR. MAHAMAT NASSER HASSAN ¶15. MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE: MR. BICHARA ISSA DJADALLAH ¶16. MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION: MR. ROUTOUANG YOMA GOLOM ¶17. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE: MR. PAHIMI PADACKE ALBERT ¶18. MINISTER OF LIVESTOCK: MR. MOUCKTAR MOUSSA** ¶19. MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND CRAFTS: MR. YOUSSOUF ABBASSALLAH** ¶20. MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FISHERIES: MR. EMMANUEL NADINGAR** ¶21. MINISTER OF RURAL WATERWORKS*: DR. (MS.) HAOUA OUTHMAN DJAME** NDJAMENA 00001070 003 OF 003 ¶22. MINISTER OF FAMILY AND SOCIAL ACTION: MR. AHMAT MAHAMAT ZENE** ¶23. MINISTER IN CHARGE OF GENERAL STATE CONTROL AND MORALIZATION: MR. MAHAMAT BECHIR OKORMI ¶24. MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: MR. HOURMADJI MOUSSA DOUMGOR ¶25. MINISTER OF POSTAL SERVICE AND NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES: MR. MAHAMAT GARFA ¶26. MINISTER OF YOUTH AND SPORT: MR. OUMAR BOUKAR ¶27. MINISTER OF CULTURE*: MS. DILLAH LUCIENNE** ¶28. MINISTER OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: MR. BRAHIM KHOULAMALLAH** ¶29. MINISTER OF SOLIDARITY AND MICRO-CREDITS*: MS. MARIAM MOUSSA ALI** ¶30. MINISTER IN CHARGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS: MR. AHMAT ABDOULAYE OGOUM** ¶31. MINISTER IN CHARGE OF DECENTRALIZATION: MR. SAUGUELNI BONIFACE** ¶32. MINISTER SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE GOVERNMENT, IN CHARGE OF RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: MR. KALZEUBE PAYIMI DEUBET** ¶33. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE, IN CHARGE OF TRANSPORTATION: MR. GOUNDOUL VIKAMA** ¶34. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND AFRICAN INTEGRATION: MR. DJIDDA MOUSSA OUTMAN** ¶35. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH*: MR. OUMAR BOUKAR GANA** ¶36. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF FINANCES, IN CHARGE OF THE BUDGET: MR. ABAKAR MALLAH** ¶37. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE: MR. MAHAMAT MAOULOUD IZZADINE** ¶38. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION: MR. DJERAREOU BAKITA** ¶39. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL EDUCATION, IN CHARGE OF LITERACY: MS. ALBATOUL ZAKARIA** ¶40. MINISTER DELEGATE TO THE MINISTER SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE GOVERNMENT, IN CHARGE OF RELATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: MR. NADJALTA MIRANGAYE** WALL