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