SIERRA LEONE 2007 NATIONAL ELECTIONS: SETTING THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 FREETOWN 000079

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUM ELECTIONS SL
SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE 2007 NATIONAL ELECTIONS: SETTING THE
STAGE

REF: 06 FREETOWN 776

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas N. Hull for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) This is the first in a series of cables intended to
set the context for the July 28, 2007 Presidential and
Parliamentary elections, only the fifth multiparty elections
in Sierra Leone since its independence in 1961. Post welcomes
any comments or suggestions.

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POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES
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2. (U) Eight officially-registered political parties will
contest the July 28, 2007 national elections. Candidates from
the three main political parties, the ruling Sierra Leone
Peoples Party (SLPP),and two opposition parties, the All
Peoples Congress (APC),and the newest party, the Peoples
Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC),will contest the
presidential elections. They are Vice President Solomon
Berewa for the SLPP, Parliamentarian Ernest Koroma
representing the APC, and Charles Margai for the PMDC.
Margai, who defected from the SLPP to form the PMDC after the
September 2005 SLPP Party Convention, is the nephew and son
of Sierra Leone's first post-independence prime ministers.
None of the candidates has named a running mate.

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NEC LEADS THE WAY
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3. (U) The National Electoral Commission (NEC),created in
2000, is responsible for the conduct of national elections
and is led by a very capable and respected Chairperson, Dr.
Christiana Thorpe. UNDP is providing the NEC with financial,
planning, technological, and logistical assistance. Recently,
concerns have emerged about alleged internal improprieties,
which Dr. Thorpe has talked about openly in the news media to
keep the process transparent.


4. (C) Victor Angelo, Executive Representative of the
Secretary General (ERSG) for the UN Integrated Office in

SIPDIS
Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL),recently told the Ambassador that he
was concerned about allegations of embezzlement of funds by
some NEC commissioners. Media reports stated that the NEC has
launched an internal investigation. Angelo said that the
allegations did not include Chairperson Thorpe. Angelo also
said that the British would fund a financial controller
position for the NEC to prevent possible improprieties.
Thorpe held a press conference on January 30 where she stated
that the results of an ongoing internal investigation would
be delivered soon, but according to Angelo this is a separate
investigation about possible staff wrongdoing.

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THE PLAYING FIELD
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5. (U) Signing of Political Code of Conduct: On November 23,
eight officially-registered political parties signed a
political parties code of conduct pledging that their
leaders, officials, candidates, members, agents, supporters,
and representatives would adhere to existing electoral laws.
Election law stipulates that the National Electoral
Commission (NEC) prepare a political party code of conduct.
The NEC recruited the Political Parties Registration
Commission (PPRC) to organize a workshop in October 2006 to
seek input from political parties and civil society on
language for the code.


6. (SBU) NEW PPRC Chairperson: Parliament recently swore in
Justice Sydney Warne as the new Chairperson for the Political
Parties Registration Commission (PPRC). Formed in 2005, the
PPRC is responsible for the registration of all political
parties in Sierra Leone. Lawyer Roland Ade Caesar had been
the acting Chair following the resignation of retired Chief
Justice Abdulai Timbo in August 2006 reportedly for health
reasons.


7. (U) Return to Constituency-based Elections: On November
30, Parliament approved the NEC's report to Parliament on the
Electoral Constituency Boundaries Delimitation Process. The
report, which NEC submitted to Parliament in August 2006,
stipulates that parliamentary elections once again be
constituency-based contests. Due to the lack of reliable

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population data for delimitation and a lack of access to
areas controlled by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)
during the 11-year civil war, Parliament passed a
constitutional amendment before the 1996 and 2002
parliamentary elections that changed elections from
constituency-based to district block representation.


8. (SBU) It was anticipated that Parliament would ultimately
approve the new constituency boundaries in advance of the
next national elections anticipated for 2007. Nonetheless,
there was considerable reluctance from SLPP Parliamentarians
to approve the constituency report and recommendations
because redistricting would automatically eliminate some SLPP
members' seats. After five hours of contentious and often
raucous debate, Parliament passed the measure 54-14 with
three members abstaining. Members of Parliament will now be
more accountable and representative of their constituencies
after the election. Currently, many members of Parliament do
not reside in the district that they represent, and residence
requirements may become a campaign issue. The electoral
campaigns are certain to become more personality-driven as a
result.


9. (SBU) Constitutional Referendum: The GoSL also announced
in late 2006 that it would hold a constitutional referendum
on July 28, but has not clarified what amendments will be put
to voters. The Office of the President issued a press release
on October 24 stating that it had created a Constitutional
Review Commission to review the 1991 Sierra Leone
Constitution to recommend amendments. The Commission was
officially launched on January 29 and will consist of 38
members representing a cross-section of government and civil
society. Most observers rightly feel that a constitutional
referendum would unnecessarily complicate the national
elections and that it would be better if it was held at a
later date. NEC Chairperson Thorpe has said that the
referendum will not take place this year, and major donors
providing technical advice concur. President Kabbah, however,
appears determined to have the referendum, setting up a
possible confrontation.


10. (C) Voter Registration: Voter registration will be held
from February 26 - March 18. The NEC has developed a voter
registration operational plan and has recruited 266
registration center monitors, who are not allowed to serve in
their home districts to reduce political pressure on them. It
is also in the process of hiring 12,000 election staff.
However, there are serious concerns about how election
monitors were selected, and if the selection process was fair
and transparent. There are allegations that the selection
process was not properly advertised and that some NEC
commissioners manipulated the distribution of application
forms.


11. (SBU) Vehicle Transportation Procurement: With voter
registration less than one month away, the NEC will be
hard-pressed to procure enough functioning vehicles to
monitor voter registration and electoral activities. It has
reportedly reached agreements with the Sierra Leone Police
(SLP) and Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) to
repair 35 RSLAF vehicles and 25 SLP vehicles. Nevertheless,
the UN reports that the vehicle shortage is still critical.


12. (U) Funding Shortfall: There continues to be a funding
shortfall of an estimated $3.7 million for the elections.
Donors are funding the election through a "basket" for
electoral support, in addition to the GoSL tranching out
money quarterly. The Ministry of Finance is not fully funding
the GoSL commitment this quarter, claiming insufficient
revenues, which compounds the shortfall problem. Some think
that this is a ploy to pressure the UN Peace Building
Commission to release funds to Sierra Leone. USG assistance
is not part of the "basket" of contributions, and is instead
funneled from USAID through the National Democratic Institute
(NDI) and International Foundation for Elections Support
(IFES) to NGOs to provide assistance for voter education,
local monitoring, and assistance to the PPRC. USG assistance
will also go towards municipal elections in 2008.


13. (C) Security: Security preparations are ongoing. The
Sierra Leone Police (SLP) will be responsible for elections
security and will work closely with UN police (UNPOL)
advisors, the UK Department for International Development
(DFID),and UK Metropolitan Police to continue training its
ranks in crowd control and other security measures. According
to the SLP 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
Security Plan, the SLP plans to deploy at every polling

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location and will provide around the clock police coverage at
NEC locations where voting materials are stored.


14. (C) The UN Security Council has approved another ten
police advisors and five military advisors for UNIOSIL. The
British have added another eight police officers as advisors,
who are being stationed upcountry to provide training and
monitor the elections process.


15. (C) Election Monitors: A Carter Center representative
told PolOff January 30 that it looks likely that the Carter
Center will send 6-8 long-term election observers to Sierra
Leone. He said that the Center was discussing funding with
DFID and could possibly be on the ground in time for the
voter registration period at the end of February. USG
assistance will support local monitors while support from
DFID will support international monitors.

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SLPP CONFIDENT ABOUT CHANCES
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16. (C) SLPP presidential candidate Vice President Berewa is
concentrating most of his time on the July 28 presidential
election. In discussions with ruling party members, most
express confidence that the SLPP will easily secure the
necessary 55 percent needed for victory. Contributing to this
confidence is the appearance that the opposition parties are
in disarray due to legal issues and leadership struggles.
Parliamentary elections may have a slightly different outcome
as it appears that the SLPP majority may shrink significantly
due to the approval of the constituency boundaries report by
Parliament in November.

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ALLEGATIONS OF POLITICAL INTIMIDATION
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17. (C) There continue to be allegations of political
intimidation by the ruling SLPP against opposition parties,
as previously reported reftel. During a recent trip
upcountry to Bo and Pujehun, community members reported to
PolOff stories of political intimidation perpetrated by
paramount chiefs loyal to the SLPP against PMDC supporters.
Reports continue that the SLPP has "bought" the loyalty of
many paramount chiefs. Paramount chiefs wield considerable
influence and political parties must secure their approval to
hold political rallies under the Public Order Act. A UN
political advisor reported this week that during a recent
trip to Bo, Pujehun, and Kenema, election stakeholders
related similar stories of intimidation and SLPP
inappropriate use of government resources. PMDC supporters
are registering complaints with the NEC. The UN reported that
the SLP has remained neutral.

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HINGA NORMAN TO JOIN PMDC?
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18. (U) Sierra Leonean news media recently reported that
former Internal Affairs Minister, Chief Hinga Norman, and
other indictees of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, have
deserted the SLPP to join the PMDC. The reports state that
the PMDC claimed that Hinga Norman had signed a press
statement conveying his support for the party. A few local
newspapers ran what appears to be a statement signed by
Norman. The SLPP has refuted the story and stated that Norman
would have notified the SLPP and resigned if it was his
intention to leave the SLPP. Hinga Norman is currently in
Senegal receiving medical attention.

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EMBASSY OUTREACH
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19. (SBU) In November, Pampana Communications Productions
launched a Krio-language play entitled, "Udat for Vot For?"
with funding assistance from the Embassy's Democracy and
Human Rights Fund. Designed to educate voters, the play's
characters summarized electoral procedures using
storytelling. All three major political parties - SLPP, PMDC
and APC - were invited to speak at the launch. Only the APC
accepted the invitation. Following the play, NEC Chairperson
Christiana Thorpe led a discussion, which elicited
considerable feedback. One point audience members emphasized
was the need to more broadly promote the play to include
rural communities during the electoral process. The play will

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tour 25 towns, but additional funding is needed for further
performances.


20. (U) On December 8, the Ambassador, USAID Country Program
Manager, and NDI Country Director launched two voter
education programs that will provide support to Sierra
Leonean NGOs to design and promote civic education programs.
NDI will implement both programs, which are funded by USAID
and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for $500,000.


21. (SBU) On December 18, USAID signed a cooperative
agreement with the Consortium for Elections and Political
Process Strengthening (CEPPS) to implement a two-year $2.2
million electoral assistance program through NDI and the
International Foundation for Electoral Support (IFES). NDI
and IFES are working with local NGOs and consortia to build
institutional capacity to conduct and monitor registration
and elections, promote voter education, strengthen civil
society organizations, promote compliance with election laws,
encourage conflict mitigation, and promote media
responsibility.


22. (SBU) In his many speeches, radio interviews, and
meetings with GoSL officials, the Ambassador continues to
stress the importance that all elections be conducted fairly
and freely, and that all political parties be given a level
playing field upon which to compete.

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COMMENT
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23. (SBU) Election stakeholders feel fairly confident that
preparations for the July national elections are on track.
Campaigning has taken center stage, although the NEC has not
officially announced when political parties can begin
campaigning, and the intensity of rhetoric between the
parties continues to increase. Although the ruling SLPP has
the power of incumbency, the PMDC, which has been referred to
as the "child of the broken home of the SLPP," will attract
some SLPP supporters. It now appears that the run-up to the
elections will be fairly peaceful. However, there is concern
about voters' reactions in the aftermath of the elections. It
is relatively certain that there will be serious implications
if voters feel that their voices were not heard and they
perceive that the election results are not credible. END
COMMENT.
HULL