AFRO-MAURITANIAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT; CLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000326

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: AFRO-MAURITANIAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT; CLAIMS
CENSUS DISCRIMINATION

Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)

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(C) Key Points
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-- Afro-Mauritanian political party president Ba Alassane
told Ambassador March 20 that he would run for president.

-- Alassane said he would make uniting the Moors and
Afro-Mauritanians his "central issue" because "the problem of
cohabitation...is the largest problem facing Mauritania...and
no White Moor candidate would take up the issue...for fear
that they would lose support from their White Moor base."

-- Alassane said that while Afro-Mauritanians with National
ID cards were being registered, those without IDs were being
discriminated against and prevented from registering.

-- Alassane said that Afro-Mauritanians will vote against the
Constitutional Referendum scheduled for June 24 because they
want the Constitution to say that Mauritanians are not just
Arabs, but various black Africans as well.

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(C) Comments
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-- Alassane will not be a strong presidential candidate,
according to political handicappers here. His party is weak,
and Alassane has only limited support in pockets of the south.

-- Ambassador is meeting with the National Election
Commission today, the 23rd, and will take up Alassane's claim
that Afro-Mauritanians are being discriminated against in the
census and voter registration campaign underway.

-- Even if Afro-Mauritanians were to vote en masse against
the referendum, the referendum on several changes to the
constitution is still likely to pass. The changes are
centered on establishing term limits for the presidency: a
maximum of two terms, five years each.

End Key Points and Comments.


1. (U) In a meeting with Ambassador March 20, political party
president Ba Alassane discussed Afro-Mauritanian concerns
regarding the census and coming elections. Alassane's party,
the Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice (PLEJ) is one of
only three recognized Afro-Mauritanian political parties and
is a member of the sole Afro-Mauritanian political party
coalition, Bloc for Change.

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WHO CAN UNITE THE MOORS AND AFRO-MAURITANIANS?
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2. (C) In response to Ambassador's question of who could
unite the racially divided country and garnerbroad popular
support, Alassane said "I don't se any current candidate
able or willing to bring tese two groups together," adding
that "this is wy I want to tell you today that I have
decided t announce my candidacy forr president." Alassanesaid he would make the issue of uniting the Moors nd
Afro-Mauritanians his "central issue" because the problem of
cohabitation between these two grups is the largest problem
facing Mauritania tody."


3. (C) Alassane saiid that no White Moor canidate would take
up the issue of cohabitation ou of fear that they would lose
support from their hite Moor base. Using the popular
candidate Ahmd Ould Daddah as an example, Alassane said "he
hs promised to address the problem of cohabitation fter he
becomes President, but has said he won'tmake the issue part
of his platform." Alassane said Daddah would never address
cohabitation once he became president, and "the
Afro-Mauritanians know it," adding that "this is why
Afro-Mauritanians will only vote for Afro-Mauritanian
candidates who they know will support them...like me."
"Afro-Mauritanians are tired of being ignored," he concluded.


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4. (C) When asked if he would be the presidential candidate
for the Bloc for Change Alassane said "I don't know because
that decision has not yet been made," adding that "I plan to
run either way, with or without them." In response to
PolOff's question if he would "possibly run against a Bloc
for Change candidate," he replied "if necessary."

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DISCRIMINATION IN THE CENSUS
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5. (C) Alassane said that, while Afro-Mauritanians with
National ID cards are being registered, "many other
Afro-Mauritanians lack IDs and haven't been able to get new
ones in order to register to vote." According to Alassane,
the government promised to use mobile National ID card
issuance teams to provide IDs to residents in rural areas who
were not able to travel to the fixed application centers
located in main towns. "The government has not done this,
and as a result, as many as 50 percent of citizens in many
Afro-Mauritanian villages don't have their IDs and can't
register," Alassane said.


6. (C) Alassane spoke about "the flawed" process for applying
for an ID card for citizens who lack the required
documentation. Theoretically, "if you don't have the needed
papers you can bring two witnesses to your local prefect
(central government representative) to verify your
citizenship and be given your ID card," he said, noting that
"the prefect can then either accept these witnesses and the
applicants' claim of citizenship, or reject the witnesses and
send the case to the police to investigate." A referral for
investigation means that the case will stay in suspense
almost indefinitely. According to Alassane, "prefects are
denying a significant number of witnesses for
Afro-Mauritanian applicants because of political and racist
motivations." Alassane said that in Pular villages no one
has been given ID cards through this method. He also alleged
that it was possible in some areas to pay a bribe to the
prefect to receive an ID card. He also charged that many
mayors decide whether or not to serve as a witness based on
political motivations, rather than performing their civic
duty for all their constituents. When a mayor declines to
serve as witness, the prefect often refers the matter of
citizenship to the police for an investigation of the
citizenship claim. But the police fail, or are very slow, to
act.

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AFRO-MAURITANIANS COULD SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE ELECTIONS
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7. (C) In response to Ambassador's question "as a
presidential candidate will you announce that the voting on
the referendum and later votes will be fraudulent because of
these registration problems" Alassane said "I am hopeful that
these problems will be solved in the next few weeks and that
that will not be necessary. However, if the problems are not
solved, all Afro-Mauritanian parties will reject the voter
lists and consider these elections fraudulent." "And if the
UN, after its audit, says the voter lists are sufficiently
accurate, will that affect your decision," the Ambassador
asked, eliciting from Alassane "the UN will say what they
say, but if we feel that the voter lists and elections are
fraudulent, we will say so. It doesn't matter what the UN
audit says."

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AFRO-MAURITANIANS TO VOTE AGAINST THE REFERENDUM
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8. (C) Alassane said that many Afro-Mauritanians will vote
against the Constitutional Referendum scheduled for June 24.
"The Constitution should identify all Mauritanians, including
the Pular, Wolof, and Soninke," Alassane said, adding "it
isn't sufficient to say that it is the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania and leave people believing that there are only
Arabs." He went on to say that "this omission only promotes
the problems of national identity that have led to the
cohabitation problems we've already discussed."
LeBaron