PARTIES HAMMERING OUT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 001183

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL UN IV
SUBJECT: PARTIES HAMMERING OUT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ELECTIONS

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Silvia Eiriz for
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Political parties participated in a forum
November 13-14 during which they finalized the language on a
code of conduct for elections. The text calls upon
signatories to take steps to ensure democratic, free, open
and transparent elections. Ruling FPI party leaders declined
to sign the agreement, noting that the Independent Electoral
Commission had too much power and that the code does not
explicitly and exclusively refer to the Ouagadougou Political
Agreement. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Representatives from more than 20 political parties
met November 13-14 at a forum on elections hosted by the
National Democratic Institute (NDI),the United Nations
Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) Electoral Division, and
Cote d'Ivoire's Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). The
parties finalized the language of a long-awaited code of
conduct for political parties, groups, political forces, and
candidates for the upcoming elections. Political parties,
through the mediation of CEI and NDI, have been negotiating
the language of the code of conduct since September. Nearly
all parties initialed the final text November 14 with the
notable exception of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI),
President Gbagbo's party. There are, however, efforts
underway to convince the FPI to sign on to the code.


3. (SBU) The code of conduct calls upon all signatories:
-- to support democratic, free, open and transparent
elections organized by the CEI;
-- to accept poll results and only use judicial procedures
provided for by law to challenge, if necessary, the results
of the elections;
-- to allow voters to exercise their right to vote and move
freely and without intimidation;
-- to reject and take action to prohibit supporters from
engaging in any form of violence, intimidation, infringement
of civil liberties of candidates, party workers, supporters,
voters and journalists;
-- to prohibit the use of state resources for election
campaigning or political propaganda at political rallies;
-- to refrain from using race, ethnic origin, gender,
religion or personal life as a tool for campaigning;
-- to use dialogue or other peaceful means to resolve dispute;
-- to refrain from financing militias, self-defense or
paramilitary groups or to manipulate the armed forces;
-- to refrain from announcing election results before the
official CEI proclamation.

In addition signatories agree to take to the CEI any problems
linked to the electoral process and any breach of the code of
conduct. The CEI will then mediate and issue a call to order
or an official warning.


4. (C) The FPI delegation left while the final language was
being negotiated and did not initial the text. NDI Country
Rep Sidi Diawara told Poloff that the head of the FPI
delegation later told him that FPI President Pascal Affi
N'Guessan ordered the delegation to leave and not sign
because the FPI had some objections to the text. The
preamble of the code of conduct refers to "political
agreements between Ivorian actors and the international
resolutions geared towards resolving the Ivorian crisis."
The head of the FPI delegation said the FPI believes the code
of conduct should refer to the Ouagadougou Political
Agreement (OPA) exclusively and explicitly and not to any of
the other peace agreements. The FPI also expressed concern
that the CEI will oversee political parties' adherence to the
code of conduct, arguing that the CEI, which is
opposition-led, has too much power. The FPI would prefer
that the FPI-led National Organization for Identification
(ONI) have oversight.


5. (C) Diawara told the Ambassador November 28 that Affi
N'Guessan expressed reservations about the provision in the
code of conduct prohibiting announcement of election results
before the official CEI proclamation. He also said that Affi
N'Guessan thought the code of conduct would be more
significant if it were signed by the heads of political
parties, rather than the more junior-level staff who attended
the forum. According to Diawara, the CEI is trying to
persuade all party leaders to sign on to the code in a public
ceremony. (Comment: Signing the code of conduct is a step in
the right direction, and adherence to its principles would
send a powerful signal to the international community and
Cote d'Ivoire's beleaguered citizens. It could harbor well
for acceptance of the outcome of the elections. End Comment.)
NESBITT