MEPI SENIOR ADVISOR BRIEFS COL. VALL ON ELECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 001386

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID EFIN KDEM MR
SUBJECT: MEPI SENIOR ADVISOR BRIEFS COL. VALL ON ELECTION
OBSERVATIONS

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 1378

Classified By: CDA Charles H. Twining. Reasons: 1.4 (b),(d)

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(SBU) SUMMARY
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-- NEA/PI Senior Advisor Kent Patton told military council
leader Col. Vall December 5 that he was impressed with the
desire of the Mauritanians to have honest elections.

-- President Vall for his part expressed satisfaction that
the Mauritanian people, when given the opportunity, made
choices that were in the best interests of their country.

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(C) COMMENT
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-- With this most recent step successfully completed, we need
now to focus on the final electoral event -- the presidential
election. We would encourage additional support to ensure
the more important presidential election goes at least as
smoothly.

End Summary and Comments.


1. (U) Visiting NEA Office of Middle East Partnership
Initiative (MEPI) Senior Advisor Kent A. Patton paid a
courtesy call on Military Council for Justice and Democracy
President Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall on December 5,
accompanied by Charge and DCM (Notetaker). Joining Col. Vall
were Foreign Minister Ahmed Ould Sid'Ahmed, Minister
Secretary General at the Presidency Habib Ould Hemet, and MFA

SIPDIS
Spokesman Ambassador Babbah Sidi Abdallah.


2. (SBU) Mr. Patton told the President that he observed the
voting in the Tagant region, and observed the closing of a
polling station in the rural town of Dar es-Salam. He noted
that the election officials during this election more
scrupulously followed the rule of law than in any election he
had observed in his 15 years of experience. He attributed
this attentiveness as a desire to have the most honest
elections possible. The people had an opportunity to elect a
government of their choice and they took it.


3. (C) Mr. Patton praised Col. Vall as being the primary
force behind the success of the process to date. The USG
will continue to watch the process through the presidential
elections and the formation of a new government, he added.


4. (C) Col. Vall thanked the USG for its continued support
and said it was in fact the Mauritanian people who are
responsible for the success. The government must have trust
in the Mauritanian people and cannot lead without the will of
the people. He rejected the idea that the people are not
ready for democracy, and free and fair elections are
therefore not good for the country, as some have put forward.
The results have shown that the Mauritanians are in fact up
to the task. Vall noted that all elected candidates were of
good quality and moderate. The Mauritanians turned down all
forms of extremism, be it Islamist tribal or ethnic
extremism. It is extraordinary that the people, given the
power to choose, used this trust and elected good candidates.


5. (C) The president then noted that the next task is to
bring the political class to the same level of trust. Mr.
Patton replied that the United States wants to continue to be
a partner in the transition, and expressed our desire to seek
more opportunities to assist in the process.


6. (U) Embassy would like to thank Mr. Patton for visiting
Mauritania to assist us in observing the second round of
elections, and to consult with the local representatives of
NDI, which has received $450,000 of MEPI funds for electoral
assistance. We welcome continued MEPI interest in
Mauritania's thus far extremely successful transition to
democracy.
Twining