WMO CONGRESS; TANZANIA'S VP CANDIDATE

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000608

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

IO/T FOR GUINNEVERE ROBERTS; AF/E FOR BARBARA YODER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TPHY WMO TZ
SUBJECT: WMO CONGRESS; TANZANIA'S VP CANDIDATE

REF: A. STATE 47359


B. OUAGADOUGOU 00300

C. GABORONE 00553


1. (U) SUMMARY: This is an action request. See paragraph

2. The Director General of the Tanzania Meteorological
Agency (TMA),Dr. M.S. Mhita, confirmed his candidacy for
vice president of the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO),requested USG support for his candidacy, and discussed
WMO issues with Econoff on April 24. Mhita anticipates the
WMO budget will be a problem, recognizes the need for program
priorities and favors limiting the number of advisors at
Executive Council meetings. Mhita has no concerns regarding
Zimbabwe's new leadership role in WMO Regional Association I.
END SUMMARY.

VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE


2. (U) Dr. M.S. Mhita, Director General of the Tanzania
Meteorological Agency (TMA) will run for vice president of
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at the WMO
Congress in Geneva on May 7-25, 2007. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs mission in Geneva will join the TMA at the
WMO Congress and Suleiman Saleh, Foreign Service Officer in
the MFA's Multilateral Division, told Econoff the MFA is
preparing a formal request for USG support of Mhita's
candidacy. ACTION REQUEST: Post requests guidance on the
GOT's request for USG support of Dr. Mhita for vice president
of the WMO.

BUDGET


3. (U) Mhita said the WMO budget will be one of the biggest
problems at the Congress as it will be "very difficult" to
have a zero nominal growth budget while proceeding with the
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation program (DPM) and basic,
accurate information flow. "We will ask for a better
package, but know that some members will need convincing,"
Mhita said. Econoff stressed the need for program priorities
and Mhita listed World Weather Watch, DPM, education and
training as priorities, noting DPM is especially important
for developing countries.

GOVERNANCE


4. (U) Mhita said he could "go along with" the Swiss
proposal to allow all WMO members access to Executive Council
documents, but he was "not happy" that Executive Council
members are bringing several advisors to Council meetings.
Mhita cautioned that if many advisors accompany the Council
members, it becomes too large to be effective, and suggested
limiting the number of accompanying advisors. Mhita had no
opinion regarding whether to allow observers at Council
meetings, but noted inequity among members as those located
near Geneva or with greater resources are more likely to
bring a team.


5. (U) To improve governance of the WMO, Mhita is preparing
strategic plans to be discussed at the Congress in May.
Mhita noted that the WMO audit process of internal audit,
external audit and an audit committee has improved over the
last two-to-three years, with a corresponding increase in
efficiency.

GERMAN PROPOSAL


6. (U) Mhita does not oppose the German proposal to change
the WMO Convention, but believes it is not necessary and, so,
will not actively support it either. Mhita added that the
Germans have pushed this issue for many years without
success.

THORPEX


7. (U) Tanzania does not yet participate in The Observing
System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) but
hopes to establish a similar program for the East
Africa/Southern Africa region, along the lines of the West
Africa model.

LEADERSHIP


8. (SBU) Because the WMO Regional Association I (RA I)
elected its former vice president, M.L. Bah of Guinea, to be
president (Ref B),Econoff asked whether the new vice
president, A. Makarau from Zimbabwe, is primed to assume the
RA I presidency in four years. Mhita said no, there is no
tradition of the vice president assuming the presidency, and
that he has no concerns about the Zimbabwe representative
being a RA I leader. Mhita said the Zimbabwe meteorological
agency is performing well, the infrastructure is in place and
RA I leadership is not political.
DELLY