THE OPPOSITION EXPLAINS THE BOYCOTT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 001141 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL/AE AND INR/AA PARIS FOR POL - D,ELIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS SOCI PINR KDEM SG SUBJECT: THE OPPOSITION EXPLAINS THE BOYCOTT Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER OSMAN N. TAT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND ( D). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In a May 23 meeting with the Ambassador, leaders of many of the 17 Senegalese opposition parties that are boycotting the June 3 legislative election explained their position and probed possible U.S. government support. Warning that Senegal,s democracy is under grave threat, the party leaders alleged a panoply of fraud and irregularities during the presidential election and underlined that their goal is to engage in constructive dialogue with the government. They also warned that ignoring them could be the spark that ignites a country that is already frustrated by and suffering from high unemployment and a crushingly expensive cost of living. END SUMMARY. DIALOGUE IS KEY -------------- ¶2. (C) In his opening statement Democratic League/Movement for the Labor Party leader Abdoulaye Bathily thanked the United States for its steadfast support of Senegal,s democracy and then described the opposition,s current talks with President Wade as being at an impasse. Acknowledging that divergent views are healthy in a democracy, he went on to outline a long history of dialogue between the Government and the opposition parties, saying that Wade had become President due to reforms that former President Abdou Diouf had carried out after meeting with the opposition. He said that Wade,s continued refusal to meet with them is an insult to Senegal,s democracy and accused Wade of unilaterally changing the rules of the game without worrying about the consequences for the country. Socialist Party leader Ousmane Tanor Dieng said that Wade is now destroying the very stairs that had taken him to the summit of the state. Noting that the United States cannot get involved in Senegal,s internal politics, Ambassador Jacobs agreed that dialogue and inclusion in the electoral process are the keys to resolving the impasse and that Senegal must continue to be a beacon of democracy for Africa. FRAUD AND MANIPULATION -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Professor Bhatily said that the group is currently collecting evidence that shows beyond a doubt that Wade and his Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) had instigated massive fraud to secure a first round victory in the February 25 presidential election. He said that the fraud included using one person to vote multiple times, having foreigners from neighboring countries register and vote, and deliberately delaying the distribution of voter registration cards in districts where the PDS knew it was weak. Through these methods Bhatily alleged that over 500,000 extra votes were garnered mostly in favor of Wade. Dieng said that it was time consuming to collect so much evidence and hence this why they have yet to publish their findings. He argued that these were not small dysfunctions but an extremely well planned strategy to steamroll the opposition. SO WHAT,S THE POINT -------------- ¶4. (C) Faced with such insurmountable odds, the opposition leaders say that if they compete in the legislative election they would be party to the &fait accompli8 that got Wade elected President. Dieng asserted that they all understand the risks involved in boycotting the election but that they had no choice but to undertake an &Acte Majeure8 to sensitize the voter and international partners as to what is going on in Senegal. Bhatily added that there was no point in competing in an election where the results are pre-ordained and predicted that the PDS would win at least 120-125 seats in the 150 member National Assembly. He stressed that even if they had competed, Wade,s gerrymandering means that the opposition would win so few seats that they could not even form a parliamentary group. THE COUNTRY MAY IMPLODE -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Warning that simmering frustrations with the high cost of living and an urban youth unemployment rate of 80 percent could explode at any time, the President of the Socialist Party,s women,s group, Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye, contended that many conflicts in Africa stem from poorly run and ambiguous elections. She continued with a prediction that if Wade refuses to engage the opposition it will be very difficult to keep people from violently expressing their views and &detonating their frustrations8. She said that DAKAR 00001141 002 OF 002 citizens must be given the fair opportunity to change their government and that Wade had clearly blocked that avenue. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) It is difficult to disagree with the opposition,s assertion that Wade has undermined the country,s principal institutions during his tenure. Since he became President, the National Assembly has weakened considerably; the judiciary has become politicized to the point where its independence is questionable; the civil service is home to PDS loyalists and local level politicians and Members of Parliament have been placated with lavish gifts such as new SUVs. Wade has also used the Treasury to fund his political campaigns and reformed laws to fit his agenda. While, none of his actions are illegal per se they are ethically questionable and severely undermine Senegal,s image as a model democracy. The opposition,s argument that dialogue has been the bedrock of Senegal,s democracy is a strong one and President Wade must be encouraged to re-engage an opposition which in 2001 he insisted be identified in the Constitution as one of the pillars of the country,s democratic system. Mission will continue to closely monitor developments and work with the Government, international partners and the opposition to encourage reconciliation. END COMMENT. PARTICIPANTS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Thirteen people participated in the Ambassador,s meeting with the opposition: United States -------------- Ambassador Janice Jacobs DCM Robert Jackson Political Officer Osman Tat Information Attache Paul Houge Political FSN El Hadj Sarr The Opposition -------------- Ousmane Tanor Dieng, First Secretary of the Socialist Party Amath Dansokho, Secretary General of the Party for Independence and Labor Abdoulaye Bhatily, Secretary General of Democratic League/Movement for the Labor Party Khoudia Mbaye, President of the Party for Independence and Labor Omar Gueye, Representing Idrissa Seck,s Rewmi Massene Niang, President of the Movement for Socialism and Unity Madieyna Diouf, Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance of Forces for Progress (AFP) Aminata Mbengue Ndiaye, President of the Socialist Party,s Women,s Group ¶8. (U) Visit Embassy Dakar,s SIPRNET website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/af/dakar. JACOBS