POLITICAL PARTIES ACCUSE GOVERNMENT OF MEDDLING IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NOUAKCHOTT 001193

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2015
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTIES ACCUSE GOVERNMENT OF MEDDLING IN
ELECTIONS

Classified By: CDA Steven Koutsis, Reasons 1.4(b)(d)

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(C) Summary
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-- Mauritania's political parties have denounced the
government for allegedly pressuring candidates to leave their
parties and run as independents in coming elections.

-- In addition, National Democratic Institute reps have "felt
pressure to increase our engagement with independent
candidates."

-- Meanwhile, the government maintains it is neutral,
describing the whole brush-up as "politics."

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(C) Comments
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-- Little doubt remains that the government has indeed been
encouraging candidates to run as independents.

-- For many, this is proof that the military council will not
stand by as the objective caretaker government, but will
instead take steps to shape the electoral outcome.

-- While the impact of the government's actions are yet to be
known, the mere fact that they decided to intervene is
troubling, and could be an indication of future interference.

-- Theories abound as to what the government is up to. The
most credible is that the government wants to pack the
parliament with independent candidates, who will in turn
support an independent candidate for president, cutting the
political parties out of the process.

End Summary and Comments.


1. (C) Over the past 10 days, a majority of Mauritania's
influential political parties and party coalitions have
accused the government of interfering in the electoral
process. The alleged interference comes at a key moment in
the political transition. Registration of candidate lists
for November 19 municipal council elections run from
September 20 - 30. These elections are important as
municipal councils elect senators. The registration period
for legislative elections runs from October 3-18. Clearly,
any reaction to the government's moves, no matter how strong,
may be too late to have any effect.

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THE POLITICAL PARTY POSITION
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2. (C) According to a majority of Mauritanian political
parties, the government has begun contacting leading party
figures and influential members of civil society to encourage
them to run as independent candidates, rather than on
political party slates. According to various parties, the
government has succeeded in convincing scores of candidates
to leave their parties and run as independents.


3. (U) On September 24, 22 political parties (including
nearly every major party) joined together to form "The
National Meeting for the Defense of Democracy (RNDD)," to
protest the governments actions and call for the transitional
authorities to "immediately stop their intervention in the
political process."


4. (C) In a September 26 meeting with representatives from
the leading political party coalition "Coalition of Forces
for Democratic Change (CFCD)," presidential candidate Ahmed
Ould Daddah told Charge that Mauritania's political parties
"had worked well with the transitional government since
August 3...but now our trust in the government is broken and
we are very concerned." Daddah explained that "the
government has been contacting the most notable Mauritanians
in our coalition and telling them that our parties aren't
organized or capable of governing and that they should run

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instead as independents."


5. (C) Cheikh Ould Horma, president of the political party
"Rally for Mauritania" told Charge that "the government is
trying to assemble a powerful group of independent candidates
together." "If this group of independents gains power, they
will form a new party, similar to the PRDS (the former party
of President Taya)," Horma said, adding that "this new group
would be controlled by those currently in power." Horma and
the other CFCD members added that the transitional government
would secretly provide these independent candidates with
significant campaign funding to ensure their success.


6. (C) Responding to Charge's question about the progress of
municipal council candidate registrations, Daddah said "the
current crisis has consumed political parties' attention, and
many parties have been unable to register all their
candidates in each race."

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THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION
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7. (C) In a September 26 meeting Secretary General of the
Presidency Habib Ould Hemet (who holds ministerial rank and
is the chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on
elections) told Charge that the government "remains committed
to its principles of neutrality and transparency." Hemet
said "we have met with interested political parties and
reassured them of our commitment to neutrality," adding that
"there has been a misunderstanding and I believe this will
all be resolved in the coming days." He added "these recent
developments are merely election fervor which will rise and
fall as the elections approach."


8. (C) Responding to Charge's question about his concern for
the political party unrest, Hemet said "its just
politics...so I am not concerned," adding that "August 3 was
about returning choice to Mauritania, and the government is
committed to doing so in a neutral and transparent manner."
"Political parties must play a central role in these
elections, but there is also a role for independents," Hemet
concluded.

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NDI'S VIEWS
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9. (C) National Democratic Institute (NDI) Resident Director
Jacques Veilleux told PolOff that NDI is "extremely concerned
about the government's recent moves," adding that NDI "has
also felt pressure to increase our engagement with
independent candidates." Veilleux explained that in a recent
meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Interior,
NDI was "strongly encouraged" to include independent
candidates in its training sessions and debate planning. "We
told the officials that, as our goal was to reinforce the
role and capacity of political parties, we would not alter
our plans and include independent candidates," Veilleux said,
adding that "these officials clearly had their marching
orders on this subject."


10. (C) Personally, Veilleux believes the government is
encouraging independent candidates in order to weaken
political parties (and ultimately the parliament) in an
effort to maintain the influence of the current powerbase.
"A parliament of mostly independents will be fractious and
weak, and much easier to control," Veilleux said, adding
"particularly by those currently helping to get them
elected."


11. (C) Veilleux warned that "without a strong parliament
acting as a check on the power of the presidency, the
government will be run entirely from the top," adding that
"we have already seen the dangers such a balance of power
poses." Veilleux concluded the point by saying that "in
order for this democratic transition to succeed, and for
democracy to truly take root, we must work to strengthen
Mauritania's democratic institutions, in this case, its
political parties."


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WHAT ARE THEY UP TO?
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12. (C) While it is unclear why the government has taken this
step, several theories have emerged. The most credible is
that the authorities want to pack the parliament with
independent candidates, who would be more beholden to the
present authorities. Those legislators would in turn back an
independent candidate for president (presumably one
acceptable to the authorities). Under this scenario, the
present rulers would be assured of favored treatment by the
new government.


13. (C) Meanwhile, the Ambassadors of France, Spain, and
Germany collectively met with Hemet on September 22 to
express their concern over these latest events, and French
media has reported that President Jacques Chirac raised the
issue of neutrality during his meeting with Colonel Vall on
September 26. Following the meeting, an Elysee spokesman
stated that Chirac "expressed to Col Vall his confidence in
Mauritania's ability to carry through the democratic
transition started under his authority. France supports the
process which is under way by continuing its cooperation with
Mauritania."
Koutsis