UNCLAS DAKAR 000129

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR S/ES-CR, DRL/AE, INR/AA, AF/RSA AND AF/W
NSC FOR AF SENIOR DIRECTOR PITTMAN
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPDC PREL PHUM KDEM SG
SUBJECT: SENIOR MINISTER GADIO'S HOLIDAY MESSAGE TO THE SECRETARY:
GOVERNMENT READY FOR ELECTIONS?



1. (U) On January 16, the Embassy received a copy of a letter from
Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheikh Tidiane Gadio to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice. An unofficial translation follows.

Begin text.

Republic of Senegal
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Office of the Senior Minister
Dakar, January 10, 2007

Dear Madam Secretary and Dear Friend,

It was with great pleasure that I received your best wishes for Eid
Al-Adha.

Those underscore, if it were necessary, the esteem and the interest
that the American Government and people have for the Senegalese
people and Government.

Please be reassured that the Government of Senegal has taken all
necessary measures to hold free, fair and democratic presidential
and legislative elections in February 2007.

In transmitting in turn my wishes for health, personal happiness and
continued success in your functions, please accept, Madam Secretary,
my renewed assurances of my highest consideration.

/S/
Cheikh Tidiane Gadio

Her Excellency
Ms. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State

SIPDIS
Washington.

END TEXT.

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

2. (SBU) Senior Minister Gadio's letter was written two days before
that Council of State invalidated the government's proposed
redistricting plan, which led Minister of Interior Ousmane Ngom to
announce that the legislative elections might be postponed by up to
three months. The same opposition parties that took the
redistricting plan to the Council of State are now challenging the
election delay in court. Politicians, lawyers and observers have
asserted that there is no need to postpone the elections since only
district boundaries and not candidacies are in play. Many observers
believe that the blatant disregard for "one person, one vote" was
intentional and was designed to provide the Government an excuse to
postpone the legislative elections in which President Wade's party
may face an uphill battle.


3. (SBU) While the Embassy cannot be certain of the Government's
motives, we agree that postponing the legislative elections is not
necessary. The more serious issue is that approximately 60 percent
of registered voters have yet to receive their voter registration
cards. END COMMENT.

JACKSON