CDA DISCUSSES ELECTIONS, DARFUR WITH KEY NCP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001442 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID SU SUBJECT: CDA DISCUSSES ELECTIONS, DARFUR WITH KEY NCP ORGANIZER -------------- -------------- Democracy, Peace in Darfur Key to Better Relations -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) In a meeting with National Congress Party (NCP) Chair for Mobilization Ibrahim Ghandour on September 12, CDA Fernandez underscored the importance of a transition to democracy in Sudan under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),including free and fair elections in 2009. Despite the difficulties in the bilateral relationship , CDA Fernandez said that the NCP had an opportunity to improve ties by demonstrating a commitment to the electoral process, a peaceful resolution of the Darfur conflict, and CPA implementation. The U.S. wanted to support these efforts. It had lived up to its donor commitments from the 2005 Oslo conference and was the lead international coordinator for the census in Southern Sudan. -------------- Progress on Elections Preparation -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Joined by former state minister from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) John Dor, State Minister for Information Farah Agar, and NCP Secretary for Women Afaf Ahmed Abdulrahman, Ghandour complimented CDA Fernandez on the "bridges" he had built since arriving to Sudan. He said that the NCP had no interest in being an enemy of the greatest country on earth. Sudan was "looking forward" to democratic and transparent elections and "would do its all to ensure their success." While a perfect electoral system was impossible in Sudan's politically charged environment, Ghandour said there had been real progress on the electoral law. Following review of the first draft by the Electoral Commission, the law would be sent to the National Assembly by mid-October for review. Ghandour hoped that it would pass by mid-November. ¶3. (SBU) Transparency in the development of the electoral system was essential to ensure wide participation in the elections, said Ghandour. The recent elections in Morocco, where turn-out had been low, demonstrated that the public was not behind the reforms. CDA Fernandez urged Ghandour to make the election process easy to understand and implement. If the system was too complicated, the Sudanese public would feel disconnected from developments. "It must be user-friendly for your constituency," said the CDA. Ghandour said that the NCP had asked for input on the electoral system from the SPLM and the opposition parties and was engaged in discussions on a "first past the post" system versus proportional representation. The NCP had endorsed a position of 40 percent popular vote and 60 percent proportional, according to Ghandour. It had also forged an agreement on 25-percent representation for women. ¶4. (SBU) Responding to a question from CDA Fernandez, Ghandour said that the elections could not occur if the Darfur conflict persisted until 2009. However, he predicted that the census could proceed in the region, as only three of the 48 localities in Darfur were affected by violence. Ghandour acknowledged that the Government of National Unity (GNU) needed to determine how to count internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, he said that the NCP had made an internal party decision that "fighting groups," including those in Darfur or in the East, would not be excluded from the overall democratic process. -------------- Unreasonable Rebels -------------- ¶5. (SBU) While noting that there had been progress on Darfur with the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1769, CDA Fernandez said that considerable work remained on the peace process and encouraged Sudan to be "generous and sensible" in its negotiations with the rebel movements. Ghandour said that many of the rebels' demands, such as one region for Darfur and a vice presidency for a Darfurian, were unreasonable--and not supported by all of Darfur's people. "Individual compensation might also be a problem," said Ghandour, saying that long-term development projects for the region, supported by the international community, would be more feasible. "We can't make all the rebel leaders vice president," he said. ¶6. (SBU) CDA Fernandez agreed that some rebel demands were KHARTOUM 00001442 002 OF 002 unworkable but said that the large question was how to involve the voices of the people of Darfur in the peace process. He also warned of the prospect of a Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) II, where only one faction of the rebel movements signs an agreement and "the war continues" as the hold-outs criticize the signatories for collusion with the Government. Dor said that the ongoing violence was not due to a problem with the DPA but to leadership struggles within the rebel movements. Abdelrahman noted that Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leader Abdulwahid Al Nur typified the Darfur rebels who were not interested in genuine peace. --- Bio --- ¶7. (SBU) Ibrahim Ahmed Abdelaziz Ghandour was born in 1952 in El Dueim, White Nile State. A graduate of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Khartoum, Ghandour also holds a master's degree in public health from the UK. He is known to be one of the most influential voices in the NCP. In addition to his role as chairman of the mobilization committee, Ghandour is an NCP member of the National Assembly. He is the president of the Sudan Dentists' Federation, former president of the Arab Dentists' Federation, president of the Workers' Trade Union Federation, vice president of the World Workers' Federation, and chairman of the Committee of Dentists in the Arab World. He briefly served as vice chancellor of the University of Khartoum but left after opposition from the faculty. Ghandour speaks fluent English. He is married to three wives. FERNANDEZ