CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION MAKES PROGRESS TOWARD

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 002143 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL DR SUBJECT: CENTRAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION MAKES PROGRESS TOWARD 08 ELECTIONS ¶1. Summary: On September 6, the Dominican Central Electoral Commission (JCE),which manages the provision of identification documents as well as running the electoral process, told the Charge that it has made good strides in preparing for the 2008 presidential elections in the Dominican Republic. The JCE estimates that the number of Dominicans voting from overseas will nearly triple in 2008 to roughly 120,000, and noted that several changes currently under consideration should allow the process to work more transparently and more efficiently. The institution has also reportedly made progress in providing accurate and up-to-date identification documents, necessary to reduce voter and identity fraud. To support its institutional strengthening, the JCE has also requested assistance in training its staff in documentation fraud and asked for help in facilitating Dominicans' access to polling stations in the U.S. End Summary. ¶2. In a courtesy call on September 6, the president of the administrative chamber of the JCE, Roberto Rosario, informed the Charge that the JCE is making significant progress in preparing for next year's presidential elections on May 16. The administrative chamber of the JCE is responsible for managing the electoral process as well as managing the documentation of Dominican citizens and verifying their eligibility to vote in elections. Advances in Organizing the Electoral Process -------------- ¶3. Rosario and the National Director of Elections, Joel Lantigua, said that their preparations for the 2008 elections than they were at a similar point for the 2004 elections. Lantigua noted that they have already identified 70,000 election workers, which includes the 35,000 needed to manage the process at 13,200 polling stations as well as an alternate for each worker. The JCE is improving its training of these workers and has 400 trainers who will begin the training process as early as September 15. In addition, the JCE has sent a proposal to the political parties for consideration that would change the way the votes are collected by establishing a computer scanning system to transmit the ballots electronically from each polling station to the relevant JCE district and national headquarters to allow for quicker election projections. The previous process of laminating the ballots, copying them, and hand delivering them to the JCE will not be abandoned, but will require less resources; the new system is expected to cut down on the administrative cost of collecting the votes (i.e., less expenses on vehicles, staff, fuel, etc.). Rising Numbers of Dominicans Voting Overseas -------------- ¶4. The JCE also discussed the organization of overseas voting in next year's elections, including the expansion of voting opportunities for Dominican expatriates in the U.S. Rosario said that roughly 42,000 Dominicans voted overseas in the 2004 elections, primarily in the U.S., and confirmed that as many as 81,000 have already been registered to vote abroad. He estimated that the total number of voters overseas could approximate 120,000 by the voter registration deadline, which is the 16th of December, a full six months prior to election day. Lantigua pointed to the expansion of voting opportunities in multiple U.S. states as well as in other countries, including Panama and Costa Rica. Dominicans abroad will be required to appear physically at voting stations being established by the JCE in collaboration with its diplomatic missions. Rosario noted that the Dominican Republic's election day is a national holiday and lamented the fact that it will be a working day in the U.S. Rosario verbally asked that the State Department assist in facilitating the ability of Dominicans residing in the U.S. to be enabled to cast their votes without employer interference, but did not provide specifics. Documenting Dominicans and Reducing Identity Fraud -------------- -------------- ¶5. Rosario made a special effort to elaborate on the JCE's efforts to modernize the documents of its citizens and the verification of personal information. He said photo and fingerprint identification is being implemented throughout the country in an effort to bolster the accuracy of the JCE's documentation. He also elaborated on the JCE's plan to create a comprehensive web-based database that could be shared with diplomatic missions, at nominal administrative cost, to reduce identity fraud in the acquisition of passports and visas. To support the JCE's efforts, Rosario asked the Charge for assistance in providing training seminars to JCE staff in document fraud detection. The Charge requested a formal proposal outlining the scope and cost of such assistance, but assured Rosario that the proposal would be considered favorably, noting previous USG assistance to the JCE (Note: The Consular Section's Fraud Prevention Unit currently interacts with the JCE on fraud-related matters and has coordinated limited training sessions over the past year. End Note). ¶6. Responding to a question from the Charge concerning the high number of undocumented individuals, particularly in rural areas, Rosario revealed that the JCE, with financing from the World Bank, plans to operate 15 to 30 mobile identification and registration vehicles. The mobile registration stations would go into rural and urban areas, especially in poor neighborhoods, and investigate cases of undocumented citizens. Rosario cautiously estimated that once the mobile stations are operational the JCE should be able to resolve its undocumented problem within three years. ¶7. Comment: Although the subject was not raised during the courtesy call, the main opposition Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) formally requested election observers from the OAS last week. The PRD is cocerned that, despite the current JCE being one ofthe best in recent history, the ruling PLD will ttempt some form of electoral fraud. The OAS hasresponded, regarding concerns about electoral frau, that it does not believe that a serious threat of fraud exists. Post discussed the possibility of providing funding to the OAS for international bservers, as was done for the 2006 elections, bu determined that such a step is not necessary ths year since the Dominican Republic has advanced sufficiently in its ability to organize and administer elections. Domestic observers led by civil society are, with USG assistance, playing a strong role in overseeing campaigns and the electoral process. (Note: Aside from the determination that it is unnecessary, no USG democracy and governance funding is presently available to support election observers. End Note.) JCE officials did not comment to us on the infighting within the institution which has received press coverage recently. Embassy will follow up and report Septel. BULLEN