Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NOUAKCHOTT1235
2006-10-13 11:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:  

BALLOT PRINTING PITS UN AND ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Tags:  PINR PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KPAO MR 
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RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHPA
DE RUEHNK #1235/01 2861143
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 131143Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5898
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0348
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0394
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0550
RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 0358
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0303
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 001235 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2016
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: BALLOT PRINTING PITS UN AND ELECTORAL COMMISSION
AGAINST GOVERNMENT


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

-----------
(C) Summary
-----------

-- The UN steering committee is strongly opposed to the
government's current ballot printing plan, which calls for
two of the three ballots for November's elections to be
printed by the state-owned national printer.

-- The UN ResRep has sent a letter to the government asking
for the plan to be amended, adding that the UN basket fund
will not fund the current ballot printing proposal.

-- A special UN steering committee meeting has been set for
October 17 to address this issue.

------------
(C) Comments
------------

-- The government clearly wants to control the printing of
ballots, and has the necessary funding to do so without
basket fund support.

-- The government's stated reason for its preference for a
local printer is its concern that an outside printer would
not deliver the ballots in time, especially for the second
round. Some observers speculate the true motive is to keep
the profits inside Mauritania.

-- However, nearly all western partners and the Mauritanian's
own electoral commission agree that the current proposal
"leaves too many questions unanswered regarding the security
and oversight of the ballots," opening the process to
potential fraud.

-- If the government goes ahead with its plan despite western
objections, it will not invalidate the transition. But it
has caused unnecessary friction between the government and
partners, and will make observers' work more difficult.

End Summary and Comments.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 001235

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2016
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: BALLOT PRINTING PITS UN AND ELECTORAL COMMISSION
AGAINST GOVERNMENT


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

--------------
(C) Summary
--------------

-- The UN steering committee is strongly opposed to the
government's current ballot printing plan, which calls for
two of the three ballots for November's elections to be
printed by the state-owned national printer.

-- The UN ResRep has sent a letter to the government asking
for the plan to be amended, adding that the UN basket fund
will not fund the current ballot printing proposal.

-- A special UN steering committee meeting has been set for
October 17 to address this issue.

--------------
(C) Comments
--------------

-- The government clearly wants to control the printing of
ballots, and has the necessary funding to do so without
basket fund support.

-- The government's stated reason for its preference for a
local printer is its concern that an outside printer would
not deliver the ballots in time, especially for the second
round. Some observers speculate the true motive is to keep
the profits inside Mauritania.

-- However, nearly all western partners and the Mauritanian's
own electoral commission agree that the current proposal
"leaves too many questions unanswered regarding the security
and oversight of the ballots," opening the process to
potential fraud.

-- If the government goes ahead with its plan despite western
objections, it will not invalidate the transition. But it
has caused unnecessary friction between the government and
partners, and will make observers' work more difficult.

End Summary and Comments.


1. (U) An October 12 UN Steering Committee meeting, including
representatives from the EU, UN, the Ministry of the
Interior, the National Independent Electoral Commission
(CENI) and the embassies of Spain, France, Germany, and the
U.S., focused on the government's ballot printing plan for
November's elections.

--------------

CONCERNS OF FRAUD AND OVERSIGHT
--------------


2. (C) Steering Committee members agreed that the
government's current ballot printing plan, which calls for
two of the three ballots for November's elections to be
printed by the state-owned national printer, "leaves too many
questions unanswered regarding the security and oversight of
the ballots," UN ResRep Cecile Molinier said. Partners
authorized Molinier to send a letter (which was sentQhat
day) Q the Ministry of Interior explaining the position of
the committee and would "make it clear that if the government
does not address our concerns, that the basket fund will not
fund the printing of ballots," as currently planned for. The
letter said the Steering Committee will meet again on October
17 to discuss the matter further.


3. (C) EU Ambassador Jean Eric Paquet asked "why split the
printing of the ballots," while the German Ambassador
Ernst-Joachim Doring added that "the government's approach to
this issue is very strange and inevitably leads one to
question their motives." "If we don't have confidence in the
security and oversight of the ballots, we can't have
confidence in the elections," UN communications expert
Riccardo Barranca said.


4. (C) CENI member Cheikh Saad Bouth Kamara shared the
concerns of the other committee members, saying that "CENI

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began ballot printing discussions with the Ministry of
Interior weeks ago, but the ministry's decision on how to
print the ballots does not follow with the logic of those
discussions." Pressed by committee members for more
information, Kamara added that he was "confused" and
"concerned" about this development. Kamara later added that
the government's current plan did include CENI oversight of
the ballot printing process, and he said "CENI will work to
ensure the security of the balloting process regardless of
what decision is made."


5. (C) Addressing the short timeline remaining for resolving
the ballot printing issue, Paquet said "I don't want the
government to respond favorably to our letter and say that
they will work with us because I'm not sure that we have
enough time to change things." Molinier added "the ministry
was supposed to have resolved this issue in September, and
here we are in mid-October without a consensus."


6. (C) The Ministry of Interior letter sent to Molinier on
October 9 outlined the government's ballot printing plan,
including the agreement between the Ministry of Interior and
the national printer signed on October 3. The letter stated
that the national printer would be responsible for the
municipal ballots and ballots for the regional deputy races,
while the ballots for the 14 national deputy seats would be
printed by a printer selected by the UN. The document
described the printing requirements for the national printer,
including ballots being printed in a special color ink, using
90-gram card stock, and that ballots must include the state
seal. The letter added that every security measure must be
taken to "avoid the counterfeiting or parallel production of
ballots." The letter said the national printer must begin
printing ballots by October 31 for the municipal candidates
and by November 10 for the legislative candidates.
Koutsis