STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY: DVC SPARKS DISCUSSION ON

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000214 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR LLUFTIG, WHA/PD EDETTER, APRUITT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI ECON NS SUBJECT: STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY: DVC SPARKS DISCUSSION ON IMPROVING ELECTION ADMINSTRATION IN SURINAME REFTEL: 05 PARAMARIBO 347 ¶1. (U) Embassy Paramaribo held a Digital Video Conference (DVC) titled "Preparing for Elections, It's Never too Early to Start" on April 7 to stimulate discussion between U.S. and Surinamese election experts on improving electoral systems in Suriname. Over the last decade, democracy has taken hold in Suriname, overcoming the shadow of seven years of military dictatorship in the 1980's and a 1990 military coup. The DVC was aimed at strengthening democracy in Suriname in line with transformational diplomacy initiatives occurring worldwide. ¶2. (U) Eighteen key Surinamese election officials and observers from inside and outside of government joined local media representatives in a substantive two hour discussion on electoral best practices with Minnesota's Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and two regional experts SIPDIS from IFES, founded as the International Foundation for Election Systems. Surinamese participants included the Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs who oversees the administration of elections; the chairman of the Central Head Voting Bureau (CHS); members of the Independent Electoral Bureau (OKB); technical staff from the Civil Registry Bureau responsible for developing voters list; leaders of democracy building NGOs; university experts; and journalists. ¶3. (U) Participants discussed best practices in developing accurate voters lists, expanding voter education, reducing election costs, and addressing the high number of invalid ballots. Secretary Kiffmeyer encouraged Surinamers to make elections preparations a continual task as better preparation translates into fewer mistakes on election day, thereby diminishing the possibility of disputed results. Guests took particular note of her suggestions regarding voter education, especially her focus on school-age children. By revealing that the number of invalid ballots in Suriname (four percent) is double the regional average, IFES experts jolted Surinamese officials into recognizing the need to expand voter education. Surinamese participants also concurred with the discussion on the need to reduce high election costs. The head of the CHS proposed reducing the number of election administration personnel, especially those who distribute polling cards, as a possible solution. ¶4. (U) Two newspapers, De Ware Tijd and the Times of Suriname, ran front page stories on the DVC focusing on the need to reduce election costs and the high percentage of invalid votes. All eighteen participants volunteered their e-mail addresses to receive follow-up information and be included on an email network to allow the Embassy to reach out to them for additional discussion. IFES experts directed participants to specific areas of their comprehensive website and are sending at least eight reports on various elements of election administration for distribution. The Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs, who actively participated in the DVC, pulled POLOFF aside following the DVC to ensure that he received IFES documents on developing accurate voters lists, a source of great controversy in the last election. (See reftel). He cited his desire to clean up the voters list now as opposed to just before the next election. BARNES