NEW PRESIDENT AT ICTR

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000754 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS S/WCI FOR BRENDAN DOHERTY AND MICHAEL MORIN; IO/UNP FOR REBECCA GOLDENBERG; AF/E FOR BARBARA YODER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA ICTR TZ SUBJECT: NEW PRESIDENT AT ICTR REF: DAR ES SALAAM 00735 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On May 21, the judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) elected Judge Charles Michael Dennis Byron of Saint Kitts and Nevis to serve as the Tribunal,s President. Judge Erik Mose of Norway was expected to seek a third term as President, though to do so would have required the judges to amend the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (the Rules) which limit the president to two two-year terms. Given the dissension among the judges regarding such a Rules change, President Mose opted to withdraw, leaving Judge Byron the only candidate. Judge Byron will become the fourth President of the ICTR on May 29. The judges elected Judge Khalida Rachid Khan of Pakistan as Vice President of the Tribunal, replacing Judge Arlette Ramaroson of Madagascar who did not seek re-election. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) President Mose opted not to stand for a third term as President of the ICTR due to dissension among the judges regarding the Rules change that would have been required to allow Mose's candidacy. Susan Lamb, Chef du Cabinet of the ICTR Presidency, told Poloff May 22 that Mose was confident a majority of the judges would support the necessary Rules change and Mose's candidacy; however, due to "the acrimony generated by a minority of the judges," Mose opted to withdraw his candidacy. As Mose's withdrawal left only one candidate for President, "it does not necessarily follow that he (Byron) has majority support," said Lamb. ¶3. (U) The plenary session began at 2:00pm local time and was scheduled to last two hours, but lasted nearly four. Signaling a difference from the usual amicable mood of these regularly-scheduled meetings, the traditional photograph-taking of the judges as a group was canceled before the session began. Tim Gallimore, Spokesperson for the Prosecutor, said people were standing guard outside the door while the judges met and Lamb noted that Mose was "surprised by the reaction in the room." ¶4. (SBU) Though unexpected, Byron's election did not generate immediate change or reaction in Arusha. Tim Gallimore described the mood at the ICTR on May 22 as "business as usual" but noted an air of anticipation of what may come in the next few weeks, after Byron's installation. Spokesperson and Acting Deputy Registrar Everard O'Donnell expects a few people will leave the Tribunal because of the change in presidency, but added people continue to "jump ship" as the overall situation worsens due to "no sense of leadership or direction and no reward for staying." Poloff noted that employees are not facing immediate dismissal as the Tribunal will exist for another 18 months; O'Donnell replied that jobs "in this line of work" come available infrequently, so employees with 18 months maximum on their contract are not willing to pass up opportunities that occur in the meantime. ¶5. (U) At the May 21 plenary session the judges also adopted two amendments of the Rules--a one-word change Lamb described as a technical amendment, and changing the requisite experience to serve as defense counsel from ten years to seven. ¶6. (SBU) NOTE: President-elect Byron is scheduled to travel to Dar es Salaam on May 31 to meet with the Friends of the ICTR on June 1; Poloff has requested a meeting with Byron in Dar. WHITE