NEED TO CONTINUE ECOWAS LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000482 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA MIKE BITTRICK AND SUSAN MCCARTY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SL SUBJECT: NEED TO CONTINUE ECOWAS LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR SIERRA LEONE NATIONAL ELECTIONS REF: FREETOWN 481 ¶1. The Economic Community of West AfricaN States (ECOWAS) has played a prominent role in providing logistical support to Sierra Leone's 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections held on August 11. The ECOWAS Stand by Force equipment and training depot, located in the Sierra Leone armed forces Murray Town Barracks in Freetown and operated by Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) through USG funding, provided critical transportation support to the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission (NEC) by supplying 40 vehicles and drivers to assist in the distribution of electoral materials and ballots throughout Sierra Leone in advance of polling day. The vehicles are also returning the ballots, tally sheets and electoral materials to the National Elections Headquarters in Freetown. These assets will also be needed during a run off election (see Para 3). ¶2. On August 8, DCM and DATT met with the head of the ECOWAS observer delegation Ghanian Lt Gen Seth Obeng. DCM thanked Obeng for the ECOWAS support of the elections and underscored the importance of the vehicle assets. Lt Gen Obeng responded that ECOWAS was glad to be able to offer assistance and added that he was very pleased with the thanks and appreciation extended to him by NEC Chief Commissioner, Dr. Christiana Thorpe during his meeting with her earlier that day. During his visit we underscored that, in the likely event of a presidential runoff in early September, the vehicles will be essential again to the success of Sierra Leone's electoral effort. ¶3. The NEC is currently certifying the vote tally, as as results come in, it is becoming increasingly certain that there will be a presidential runoff election which must be held no later than September 6. The current ECOWAS agreement for electoral logisitical assistance is scheduled to expire August 22. Consequently Embassy Freetown respectfully requests that the agreement be extended until at least September 20, to allow for the delivery and pickup of the electoral materials during the critical Presidential runoff. HULL