Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT1379
2008-10-20 14:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: WITH NO INVITATION, UN PONDERS ROLE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001379
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: WITH NO INVITATION, UN PONDERS ROLE
DURING PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001379
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: WITH NO INVITATION, UN PONDERS ROLE
DURING PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: UN representatives are pondering their
options in regard to the organization's potential role during
the December parliamentary elections. They believe that
Turkmen government officials are expecting them to
participate in some way, although UN offices here have not
received a formal invitation to observe the elections. Given
UNDP's ongoing electoral reform program, the most likely
choice may be an electoral assessment team, which would not
observe the elections per se, but would assess the propriety
of the election process and evaluate what Turkmen officials
have learned from the program. Like others in the
international community here, UN officials are convinced that
it may be too soon for Turkmenistan to host international
election observers. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Resident UN officials and their visiting
counterparts from New York were pondering their options
October 16 for engagement with the Turkmen government during
the December parliament elections. Deputy Resident UNDP
Representative Inita Paulovica talked with Asia and Pacific
Affairs Chief Jehangir Khan during a UN reception about the
options that UNDP has for engaging the Turkmen on the
elections. She said that Turkmen officials have not sent an
invitation to UNDP to observe the elections, but in recent
meetings they seem to be operating under a presumption that
they have invited UN representatives to play a role.
3. (C) The UNDP just finished the first phase of its
election reform project, which focused on teaching
international standards regarding the process of conducting
elections. The project has available funding and provisions
that would allow for an associated election assessment team
to come to Turkmenistan and assess the degree to which
Turkmen officials properly manage election processes. She
said this would allow UNDP to bring in election experts to
evaluate the success of the project's initial phase, while
also enabling them to see what goes on inside polling
stations. But the team would not have to engage in true
election observation or produce a shared report.
4. (C) An election assessment team would be small, perhaps
two or three people, and would draft a report assessing
Turkmen officials' adherence to international election
procedure standards, Paulovica said. The report would be
produced for the UN's use and would not be made public or
shared with the Turkmen government. Anything more robust,
such as a true monitoring team, would be more problematic,
and UN officials appeared to be less enthusiastic about such
an option, although it has not yet been excluded.
5. (C) COMMENT: It appears the UN contingent is just
beginning to consider its options for the December elections.
Like OSCE, it is most likely to send a team that will get it
the most bang for the buck while avoiding true election
observer activity, which UN representatives see as premature
at this point, since Turkmenistan still has a ways to go to
reach international standards. News that the UNDP office has
not received an invitation to send election observers is
surprising, given the standing that the UN always seems to
have with the Turkmen government. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: WITH NO INVITATION, UN PONDERS ROLE
DURING PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: UN representatives are pondering their
options in regard to the organization's potential role during
the December parliamentary elections. They believe that
Turkmen government officials are expecting them to
participate in some way, although UN offices here have not
received a formal invitation to observe the elections. Given
UNDP's ongoing electoral reform program, the most likely
choice may be an electoral assessment team, which would not
observe the elections per se, but would assess the propriety
of the election process and evaluate what Turkmen officials
have learned from the program. Like others in the
international community here, UN officials are convinced that
it may be too soon for Turkmenistan to host international
election observers. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Resident UN officials and their visiting
counterparts from New York were pondering their options
October 16 for engagement with the Turkmen government during
the December parliament elections. Deputy Resident UNDP
Representative Inita Paulovica talked with Asia and Pacific
Affairs Chief Jehangir Khan during a UN reception about the
options that UNDP has for engaging the Turkmen on the
elections. She said that Turkmen officials have not sent an
invitation to UNDP to observe the elections, but in recent
meetings they seem to be operating under a presumption that
they have invited UN representatives to play a role.
3. (C) The UNDP just finished the first phase of its
election reform project, which focused on teaching
international standards regarding the process of conducting
elections. The project has available funding and provisions
that would allow for an associated election assessment team
to come to Turkmenistan and assess the degree to which
Turkmen officials properly manage election processes. She
said this would allow UNDP to bring in election experts to
evaluate the success of the project's initial phase, while
also enabling them to see what goes on inside polling
stations. But the team would not have to engage in true
election observation or produce a shared report.
4. (C) An election assessment team would be small, perhaps
two or three people, and would draft a report assessing
Turkmen officials' adherence to international election
procedure standards, Paulovica said. The report would be
produced for the UN's use and would not be made public or
shared with the Turkmen government. Anything more robust,
such as a true monitoring team, would be more problematic,
and UN officials appeared to be less enthusiastic about such
an option, although it has not yet been excluded.
5. (C) COMMENT: It appears the UN contingent is just
beginning to consider its options for the December elections.
Like OSCE, it is most likely to send a team that will get it
the most bang for the buck while avoiding true election
observer activity, which UN representatives see as premature
at this point, since Turkmenistan still has a ways to go to
reach international standards. News that the UNDP office has
not received an invitation to send election observers is
surprising, given the standing that the UN always seems to
have with the Turkmen government. END COMMENT.
CURRAN