OPPOSITION PARTY VOICES CONCERN ABOUT RUNOFF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 FREETOWN 000493 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA (BGRAVES) E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SL SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PARTY VOICES CONCERN ABOUT RUNOFF ELECTION AS SLPP DESPERATION GROWS REF: A. FREETOWN 481 ¶B. FREETOWN 484 ¶C. FREETOWN 486 Classified By: Ambassador Thomas N. Hull for reasons 1.4 (b and d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) During an August 17 meeting with the Ambassador, All People's Congress (APC) presidential candidate Ernest Bai Koroma voiced concern about the 2007 national elections turning into a replay of the 1967 elections, when the national elections, which the APC had won over the ruling party, were nullified by a coup d'etat. Koroma, who requested the meeting with the Ambassador, said the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is unwilling to relinquish power and is determined to manipulate the election process in the likelihood of a presidential runoff election. With over 45 percent of the vote certified as of August 16, Koroma holds a 90,000 vote lead over SLPP presidential candidate Vice President Solomon Berewa. It appears Koroma will maintain his lead but that no presidential candidate will reach the requisite 55 percent to avoid a runoff election, which must be held no later than September 6. Despite his concerns, Koroma is confident that the APC will win the simple majority that is required in the runoff and is already thinking about the challenges his administration will face after he takes office. With a possible defeat looming, the SLPP appears ready to resort to desperate measures to remain in power, and has even gone as far to infer that the international community has interfered in the elections process. END SUMMARY. SLPP DESPERATION INCREASES -------------- ¶2. (C) Koroma said SLPP officials are becoming increasingly desperate with the looming threat of possible defeat and have responded by actively trying to buy the support of the People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) and put mounting pressure on the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) to arrest opposition members. Koroma said the SLPP also plans to intimidate National Electoral Commission (NEC) officials if necessary. Koroma was also concerned by pressure on the army to support the SLPP by Deputy Defence Minister Joe Blell, whom Koroma described as the SLPP's chief strategist for retaining power. Koroma said in the event of a runoff, his party would push for the removal of two NEC officials in the Eastern Province, Edward Nyallay and Dr. Hindowa Momoh, who the APC feels have been actively working on the SLPP's behalf in the East. THE DESIRE FOR CHANGE -------------- ¶3. (C) Koroma said the August 11 national elections indicated a strong desire for change on the part of all Sierra Leoneans but expressed his party's disappointment that the NEC was taking so long to certify the results. He shared the Ambassador's concern that the longer the NEC takes to announce the official results, the more opportunity there is for political parties to cause mischief. Koroma said he was pleased with the APC's campaign efforts and felt his party had made considerable inroads in the Southern and Eastern Provinces that have traditionally been SLPP strongholds. He said unofficial party results showed the APC had won one Parliament seat in Moyamba and one in Bo in the South and had narrowly lost a seat in Kono District in the East. He felt these victories were an indication of a greater acceptance of the APC in those areas. Overall, the APC appears to have won about 61 out of the 112 parliamentary seats (another 12 will be occupied by those elected separately to represent the Paramount Chiefs.) WINNING THE RUNOFF -------------- ¶4. (C) Koroma was confident that in the likelihood of a runoff election the APC would win. He said the APC has a good working relationship with the PMDC, which would make a difference in the second round and throw support towards the APC. He also felt confident that the APC working with the PMDC would help unify the country. WHAT LIES AHEAD -------------- ¶5. (C) Koroma said he is aware of the great challenges that lie ahead for Sierra Leone and clearly understands that expectations for the incoming government will be very high. He said it would be imperative that international assistance increase to help meet those expectations and build public confidence. Past governments in Sierra Leone have made many mistakes, he said, but under his administration there would FREETOWN 00000493 002 OF 003 be a fresh start. He wants to build on an already solid relationship with the U.S. and said his administration would look to the USG for greater levels of support than in the past. Koroma said he hoped the Ambassador would continue to advocate on Sierra Leone's behalf and serve as the unofficial Sierra Leonean Ambassador to the U.S. following the completion of his tenure on August 27. ¶6. (C) If the APC were to win, the Ambassador told Koroma that it would be critical for any new government to work to build the public's confidence. The Ambassador suggested a good starting point would be to address corruption by revitalizing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The Ambassador cautioned that this would a delicate matter since a new government should not give the impression that it is on a witch hunt, but should signal that it wants to make a genuine effort to stamp out corruption. The Ambassador said a show of political will to rid the government of graft would buy valuable time to begin the long journey to rebuild the infrastructure, create jobs, and encourage private investment. The Ambassador suggested that if the election is deemed credible and Koroma becomes President, he may want to visit Washington early in his presidency to explore further avenues of cooperation and assistance. SLPP CRITICIZES DIPLOMATIC CORPS -------------- ¶7. (C) Following the meeting with Koroma, the Ambassador and DCM attended a hastily called meeting with Executive Representative of the Secretary General (ERSG) of the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSOL) Victor Angelo, which included the British High Commissioner. Both the ERSG and British High Commissioner had been personally presented an aide memoire from the Office of the President by Minister of Foreign Affairs and SLPP vice presidential candidate Momodu Koroma. According to the ERSG and High Commissioner, FM Koroma had appeared uncomfortable delivering the aide memoire that was critical of the diplomatic corps for interference in the electoral process. He indicated that President Kabbah and Vice President Berewa were personally involved. The paper stated, inter alia, that members of the diplomatic corps had no right to visit opposition parties in their party headquarters, and specifically criticized USAID for financing radio reporting of election results that are allegedly causing ruling party supporters to be harassed. ¶8. (C) Separately, on August 17, the Government called in heads of the African missions to meet with MFA Director General Umaru Wurie who presented them with the same message to not interfere with the national elections. At a UN-hosted lunch on August 17, the African Ambassadors reported that they had rejected the aide memoire as inappropriate. All attending the meeting, including UNIOSIL officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and international organization representatives, agreed that the aide memoire showed the SLPP was running scared and that the international community should continue its efforts to diffuse the situation, building on the joint statement delivered to the three political parties (SLPP, APC, PMDC) on August 15 by the head of the EC and the Ghanaian and Egyptian Ambassadors calling for patience and calm as the NEC completes the tallying process (Ref B). COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) The strongly-worded aide memoire was personally delivered to the recipients, but we have yet to receive a copy directly from the GoSL or SLPP. The Ambassador's farewell call on August 16 with President Kabbah (Ref C) may have forestalled such a visit. The allegation concerning USAID is rubbish, and we are unaware of any intimidation of ruling party supporters. It is certain that Ernest Koroma's visit to the Embassy on August 17 will not please SLPP officials. ¶10. (C) Although the overall tenor of the elections remains positive, indications are increasing that the ruling SLPP, in the face of impending defeat, is determined to hold on to power by any means necessary, and may be willing to risk stability to achieve their goal. To avoid a repeat of 1967, it is imperative that all political parties continue to respect the electoral process and that the SLP and Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces maintain their neutrality. This has been our constant message throughout, and one echoed by all international observers. If there is a presidential runoff, the NEC will need to expedite delivery of the results to avoid a repeat of the current uncertain situation. The longer it takes to deliver the results, the more opportunities there are for political parties to manipulate, undermine, or usurp the process to achieve their goals. END FREETOWN 00000493 003 OF 003 COMMENT. HULL