Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CONAKRY1190
2007-10-29 13:32:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Conakry
Cable title:  

RPG OPPOSITION PARTY EAGER FOR ELECTIONS

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2032
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #1190/01 3021332
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291332Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1812
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 001190 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: RPG OPPOSITION PARTY EAGER FOR ELECTIONS

REF: A. CONAKRY 1186

B. CONAKRY 1146

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 001190

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: RPG OPPOSITION PARTY EAGER FOR ELECTIONS

REF: A. CONAKRY 1186

B. CONAKRY 1146


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Leaders of the opposition Rally for the
Guinean People (RPG) party told poloff that they are eager
for legislative elections and see them as a viable mechanism
for affecting political change. Contacts were frustrated
with election delays, but optimistic that elections could
take place before June 2008. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Poloff met with two executive board members of the
RPG opposition party on October 24: Dr. Mohamed Diane and
Ibrahima Khalil Keita. Keita is also one of the twenty-five
representatives appointed to the National Independent
Electoral Commission (CENI). Drawing most of its support
from the Malinke ethnic group based in Upper Guinea, the RPG
is considered a leftist opposition party.

--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------


3. (U) The RPG is led by Alpha Conde, an intellectual
political activist who left Guinea in 1956 to pursue an
education in France. He did not return to Guinea until 1991
when he became involved in local politics. Conde has been a
contender in Guinea,s last two presidential elections,
winning nearly 20% of the vote in 1993 and 16% in 1998.
Shortly after the 1998 elections, he was arrested and charged
with treason. Conde was sentenced to five years in prison,
but was released in 2001 under presidential pardon. He then
left for France and did not return to Guinea until 2005.
Under Conde,s leadership, the RPG boycotted the 2002
legislative elections, but did participate in Guinea,s 2005
local elections during which they won the mayor positions in
Kankan, Faranah and Kouroussa (Upper Guinea).

--------------
ELECTIONS ARE A MECHANISM FOR CHANGE
--------------


4. (SBU) According to Mohamed Diane, the RPG is eager for
legislative elections and sees them as a viable mechanism for
affecting political change. However, Diane said that the
government lacks the political will necessary to push the
process forward. &It starts all the way at the top,8 he
said, &with (President) Conte,s refusal to sign
administrative decrees,8 referring to delays in establishing
the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI). When

asked whether Prime Minister Kouyate is also delaying
progress on elections, Diane said the majority of the delays
are coming from Conte,s political power base.


5. (SBU) Diane suggested that Kouyate,s main problem is
that his government is essentially blocked because Conte
continues to maintain a tight hold on powers of state. &If
I were Kouyate, I would focus on holding elections because it
is the one concrete thing the (Kouyate) government can do,8
he said. In addition, transparent elections will lend
credibility to Kouyate,s government, he said.


6. (SBU) Diane emphasized that despite the appointment of
Kouyate,s consensus government, the underlying bureaucracy
remains essentially unchanged. He said that most bureaucrats
are long-time supporters of Conte and the ruling Party for
Unity and Progress (PUP). &They should be replaced before
we hold elections,8 he said, citing concerns about potential
manipulation of election results by Conte,s cronies.

--------------
WE REQUESTED THE DELAY
--------------


7. (SBU) In regard to the Ministry of Interior and
Security,s (MIS) recent announcement that the government is
halting all elections preparations until the establishment of
the CENI, Diane said that this delay was actually at the
request of all political parties. In an October 12 meeting
between Kouyate and political parties, representatives
reportedly told Kouyate that they did not want to proceed
further on elections without the CENI for fear of
jeopardizing overall transparency. At the same time, Diane
said, the RPG is frustrated with the slow pace of election
preparations. &We wanted elections in December, but we
recognize that that is now impossible.8

--------------
CENI LIKELY TO BE SET UP SOON, BUT NO BUDGET
--------------


8. (SBU) Diane was optimistic that the CENI would be

CONAKRY 00001190 002 OF 002


established soon, noting that Kouyate told parties that he
would authorize the establishment of the CENI himself within
two weeks if Conte did not sign the decree. (COMMENT. If
Kouyate did say this, it would be surprising if he follows
through since it could be seen as a public defiance of Conte
and is inconsistent with Kouyate,s methods to date. An EU
contact told DCM that he had heard Kouyate make this promise
as well. END COMMENT.) Diane said that if the CENI is not
established by October 26, the RPG will publicly protest via
official public statements.


9. (SBU) Regarding the European Union,s elections
assistance project for voter registration, Diane said that
the RPG is frustrated that the Government of Guinea has not
been more proactive. &This is a great opportunity for us to
have a valid voter list for the first time, not just for
these elections, but for the presidential elections as
well,8 he said.

--------------
ELECTIONS POSSIBLE BY JUNE
--------------


10. (SBU) When asked about timing of elections, Diane said
that once the CENI is in place, there is no reason that
elections be delayed beyond June 2008. Diane added that
political parties will likely be ready to settle on a new
elections date once the CENI is on board. While Diane did
not think the CENI representatives would have much difficulty
electing a CENI president and members of the executive board,
he said that there is currently no budget for the CENI.

--------------
ON POLITICAL ALLIANCES...
--------------


11. (SBU) Referring to other opposition parties, recent
efforts to forge political alliances, Diane said that the RPG
already has a solid alliance in place, but are open to
additional alliances should an offer be made. (NOTE. The
RPG is allied with several minor opposition parties. END
NOTE.)

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


12. (SBU) Poloff,s discussion with RPG executive board
members suggests that the party is supportive of Kouyate,s
administration. Although Kouyate has not made any public
indication of his possible affiliation with any political
party, both the press and a number of contacts have
speculated that if Kouyate were to join an existing party, it
could be the RPG. Kouyate, a Malinke, comes from Kouroussa,
which is a significant political support base for RPG. END
COMMENT.
CARTER