UFDG SEEKS ALLIANCES WITH OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CONAKRY 001146 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM GV SUBJECT: UFDG SEEKS ALLIANCES WITH OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES BEFORE ELECTIONS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Leaders of the extremist opposition party, Union Forces Democratic Guinean (UFDG),told poloff that they are seeking to ally with like-minded opposition parties in order to present a single candidate list for the upcoming legislative elections. The UFDG commented on the Guinean Government,s lack of political will to conduct elections and detailed internal issues blocking the formal establishment of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI). Pointing to a need for capacity building programs for political parties, the UFDG requested U.S. Government assistance. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) On October 9, poloff met with three leaders of the opposition party UFDG including Elhadj Ba Mamadou Bhoye, President; Dr. Saliou Bela Diallo, Vice President; and Amadou Oury Bah, Secretary General. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As one of the five main opposition parties vying for power in the upcoming legislative elections, the UFDG draws its support largely from the Peuhl ethnic group based in Middle Guinea. Ba Mamadou, party president, has been active in Guinean politics since independence. He was forced to flee the country under Sekou Toure,s regime, during which time he spent six years in the U.S. working for the World Bank as well as some years in Cote d,Ivoire and France. He returned to Guinea in 1987 after President Lansana Conte seized power. He was initially close to Conte and drafted a number of speeches for him including a 1990 speech that was seen as Conte,s political roadmap. Later, Ba Mamadou reportedly became disenchanted with Conte,s leadership and started opposition political activity and when political parties were legalized in 1996, created the UFDG. The UFDG is now reportedly seen as an extremist opposition group, since it has repeatedly refused to negotiate or dialogue with the government. ¶4. (SBU) When asked about the UFDG,s current membership, Ba Mamadou said that it is difficult to get an exact number, but he estimates that they have between 200,000 and 300,000 active members. Amadou Bah, party secretary general, added that he estimates total potential voters for the UFDG in the upcoming elections at more than 2 million. The UFDG did not participate in the last legislative elections in 2002. -------------- 
LOOKING FOR ALLIANCES -------------- ¶5. (SBU) According to Ba Mamadou, the UFDG is actively negotiating with a number of competing opposition parties in order to form alliances and/or merge parties before the elections. Specifically, the UFDG is negotiating with the Union Party for Progress and Renewal (UPR),which is the other major opposition party representing a largely Peuhl ethnic base. (Note ) The UPR is the only opposition party holding seats in the current National Assembly). Ba Mamadou said they are also talking to Sidya Toure of the Union Force Republican (UFR) to see if they can identify a common platform. The UFDG is also seeking the support of several minor opposition parties. Ba Mamadou was noncommittal as to whether any of these alliances would solidify, but said that &it,s advancing, little by little.8 ¶6. (SBU) In regards to recent press reports that former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo has agreed to join the UFDG as its honorary party president, Ba Mamadou said that the press announcements were a bit premature. He added that the UFDG is actively negotiating with Diallo, but that no formal agreement has been reached. &Diallo has the choice between the UPR and the UFDG...we,re not sure who he will join,8 Ba Mamadou said. (COMMENT ) An unconfirmed October 13 internet report indicated that Diallo may have officially joined the UFR). ¶7. (SBU) When asked about his vision for these alliances, Ba Mamadou said that the first objective is to present a unified, communal electoral list meaning that any allied parties would agree to jointly submit their candidates on one party ticket. The second objective, Ba Mamadou said, is to have the allied parties designate the new President of the National Assembly, provided that the opposition wins. Poloff asked Ba Mamadou if he intended for the alliance to continue after the election of the National Assembly President, a question he repeatedly evaded. -------------- CONAKRY 00001146 002 OF 003 CRITICISMS FOR KOUYATE -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Ba Mamadou also commented on Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate,s possible political alliances, saying that he did not think Kouyate would align with the ruling Party for Unity and Progress. However, &we don,t know what side Kouyate will be on,8 he said. According to Ba Mamadou, Kouyate, a Malinke, will likely identify with the Guinea,s People Rally Party (RPG),which is an opposition party representing a largely Malinke ethnic base or with the newly formed Convergence Patriotic Guinean (CPG),which also appears to draw Malinke support. ¶9. (SBU) Commenting on Kouyate,s government in general, Ba Mamadou said that &we are disappointed; we were fooled into thinking there was a willingness for change.8 He added that the UFDG was hoping for absolute neutrality from Kouyate, but instead found that his appointments of prefects and governors were biased, alluding to ethnic and regional favoritism. -------------- POLITICAL WILL LACKING FOR ELECTIONS -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Turning to elections, Ba Mamadou said that the &population is the sole guarantee we have; the population will not tolerate election theft.8 At the same time, Ba Mamadou added that Guinea,s illiterate population can be fooled, especially in rural zones. Ba Mamadou also commented on the government,s lack of progress, saying that there are a number of deputies within the National Assembly who are not in a hurry to hold elections because they know that it means they will be going home. &Political will is lacking,8 he said. &We know that the opposition is the new majority and if elections are transparent, we will win,8 he added. -------------- DELAYS IN ESTABLISHING THE CENI -------------- ¶11. (SBU) When asked about delays in establishing CENI, Ba Mamadou said the initial delay was due to political disagreement over the ten opposition seats, led by Sidya Toure of the UFR. That issue has since been resolved and the Ministry of Interior and Security (MIS) has all 25 names for the CENI, Ba Mamadou said. &Everything is in place, but we still have no CENI.8 He added that the question of a presidential decree is the current stumbling block, referring to internal government debate as to whether President Conte must sign an official decree or whether the law deems the Commission official upon submission of the names to MIS. ¶12. (SBU) Poloff asked whether there is a clear candidate to serve as President of the CENI, a position that the members of the CENI must elect. Ba Mamadou said that Sidya Toure is pushing for Ben Syllah, the president of the National Council for Civil Society Organizations, but that the UFDG will not support him. &He,s just a militant of the UFR, and anyway, he doesn,t have the majority support,8 he said. Despite poloff pressing, Ba Mamadou was unwilling to suggest an alternate candidate. He said &there are some people in mind, but there is no clear candidate; it,s going to take some time, but we have time because we are waiting for the decree to be signed.8 Ba Mamadou added that a majority vote will decide the position. &We will know the president before we ever get to the room because we will have decided among ourselves before the vote is taken,8 he said. NOTE ) There is some debate within the government as to whether the president is elected by majority or by consensus. END NOTE. -------------- WE NEED CAPACITY BUILDING -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Ba Mamadou criticized the U.S. Government,s funding of capacity building for civil society organizations through USAID, saying the U.S. Government has ignored political parties, which are also desperate for such assistance. &How can you build democracy without supporting political parties? We make democracy; we decide who participates in the electoral process,8 he said. According to Ba Mamadou, the government relies on the political parties to educate the population regarding elections. He said that he does not disagree with providing funding for civil society organizations, but that such funding is also needed for political parties. &It needs to be coordinated,8 he said. -------------- COMMENT CONAKRY 00001146 003 OF 003 -------------- ¶14. (SBU) While the UFDG has not actively started campaigning in the interior, the party appears to be mobilizing for elections as it actively seeks to ally with likely opposition partners. Given that there are five opposition parties with significant support bases, it is possible that they could split the vote, thereby enabling the ruling PUP to maintain its control over the National Assembly. An allied opposition would have a better chance of emerging victorious. However, it is unclear whether any such alliance would endure past the election of the National Assembly President. ¶15. (SBU) Embassy strongly supports the need for a capacity building program for political parties and has requested funding (reftel). With the exception of the ruling PUP, few of the parties have campaign or governing experience. The parties seem to lack vision and cannot define any political platform or agenda. Contacts from all the major opposition parties are focused on elections, but have not expressed any clear program for governing the country should they gain control of the National Assembly. END COMMENT. BROKENSHIRE