POSSIBLE EU ELECTION MONITORING IN AFRICA FOR 2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001865 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO, DRL/MLGA AND DRL/FO CHRIS CAMPONOVO PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM EUN XA SUBJECT: POSSIBLE EU ELECTION MONITORING IN AFRICA FOR 2009 REF: 12/1/2008 BOWLES/GREGG EMAIL Classified By: USEU POL M-C CHRIS DAVIS FOR REASON 1.4 D ¶1. (C) On December 1, European Commission official Stefano Gatto (protect) of DG RELEX shared the following list of African countries, in priority order, whose national elections the European Union is likely to observe during ¶2009. The EU observes elections in areas where the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe does not have an election monitoring mandate. Of the seven African elections listed, the Commission hopes the EU will observe as many as six. The Commission is currently in consultations with Member States on this priority list, so it may be subject to change. Gatto said that the EU used to be much more open about its monitoring plans, but now prefers to treat them confidentally in the hopes that subject countries will invite the EU to monitor, and will consequently be more helpful on reforms and access requirements that may be necessary for the EU to agree to observe. Gatto feels that public release of the list of countries the EU wishes to monitor would compromise its negotiating position and asked that we treat it as confidential. ¶2. (C) List of African elections the EU wishes to monitor in 2009, in priority order. ¶1. Ivory Coast ¶2. Malawi ¶3. Guinea ¶4. Sudan (according to Gatto, the EU is unlikely to observe due to the security situation in the south, and because the Sudanese election is actually six separate events. However, he did not rule it out given that there was strong interest in the Member States for an observation to take place.) ¶5. Chad ¶6. Mozambique ¶7. Mauritania MURRAY .