GOG DEMANDS MORE DONOR SUPPORT FOR ELECTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CONAKRY 000604

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: GOG DEMANDS MORE DONOR SUPPORT FOR ELECTIONS


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. A meeting between the GoG and the
international community on elections quickly deteriorated
into a heated inter-agency debate about elections funding,
with harsh criticism aimed at the absent Minister of Finance.
The Minister of Territorial Administration and Political
Affairs dominated the meeting, frequently cutting off other
ministers, GoG officials, and diplomats in order to continue
his oratory. He assured the diplomatic community of the
GoG,s political will to hold elections, essentially arguing
that the only thing holding him back from doing his job is
cash on hand. The GoG requested international donor
assistance to cover the $8.5 million budgetary gap for
elections. Although the meeting was chaotic, developments
earlier this week suggest that the GoG is making some
progress towards elections. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) The Minister of Territorial Administration and
Political Affairs (MATAP) called an elections steering
committee meeting with the international donor community at
the last minute on October 10. In addition to the MATAP
minister, the ministers of Economic control, Justice, and
Guineans Abroad, also participated in the discussion, which
lasted for nearly three hours. A senior representative from
the Ministry of Finance was present, as were more than a
dozen other GoG officials. The National Independent
Electoral Commission (CENI) sent a representative, but the
CENI president, Ben Sekou Syllah, was not present. The
diplomatic community was represented by the UN Resident
Representative, the EU Ambassador, the Special ECOWAS
Representative, and the assistance coordinator at the French
Embassy. A/DCM and USAID Technical Office Chief attended on
behalf of the USG.


3. (SBU) Although the meeting was ostensibly called to
discuss progress towards elections, it quickly became clear
that the MATAP minister wanted to use the meeting as a
platform to air internal GoG budgetary conflicts before the
international community. He started the meeting with a vague
agenda, but then almost completely ignored the stated agenda
for the duration of the meeting, despite attempts by his
ministerial colleagues to get things back on track.


4. (SBU) In his opening remarks, the MATAP Minister assured
the international community that the GoG is absolutely
committed to elections. &You have no need to doubt our
political will;8 he said, &it exists at every level,
including the president and the prime minister.8 According
to the minister, the GoG,s main stumbling block is elections
financing, but emphasized that this problem would not deter
the GoG from organizing elections. &You will be convinced
of our willingness to do this, and we will work together to
hold elections,8 he promised.


5. (SBU) Referring to the elections budget that had been
distributed before the meeting, the EU Ambassador said that
there was nothing new in the budget. She emphasized that the
GoG needs to develop a new elections timeline that details
all of the necessary steps and projects target completion
dates. The Finance representative later echoed the same
concern, as did several other participants. However, the
MATAP minister repeatedly claimed that the GoG is currently
working on the timeline, but that funding continues to be the
most critical issue.


6. (SBU) The MATAP minister said that the GoG needs foreign
assistance, but needs to have it &freely,8 so that his
ministry can function effectively. &You always say that you
are going to help us, but you are only helping us with the
second stage; we need to take care of the first stage before
we get to the second stage,8 he said. The UN Resident
Representative responded by saying that the various stages of
elections preparations are not mutually exclusive, and that
activities from both stages can be completed simultaneously.
&If you go stage by stage, you are never going to get
there,8 she said.


7. (SBU) From there, the meeting quickly deteriorated into a
heated 90-minute long inter-ministerial debate about funding,
with occasional digs aimed at the international community.
The MATAP minister dominated the discussion, often using
expansive arm gestures and a raised voice. He frequently
silenced his ministerial colleagues, as well as the Finance
representative, refusing to let them speak. On at least
three occasions, seeing that members of the diplomatic
community were quietly whispering to each other behind their
hands, the minister called their names and asked them to pay
attention to the discussion.


8. (SBU) At one point, the minister said &that everyone has

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a responsibility for these elections, including the
international community, and all the funding needs to be put
at MATAP,s and the CENI,s disposal immediately, not in
small bits here and there, but everything at once.8 He then
added &we will do our part so that the money goes where it
is supposed to go.8


9. (SBU) The Minister of Economic Control tried to get a
word in several times, and then was finally passed the
microphone. He apologized that he had not received any
information prior to the meeting, and was therefore not well
prepared. However, he said that the most urgent need is for
the GoG and the international community to address the
budgetary gap of $8.5 million. &If we do not address the
gap, the rest of this discussion is useless,8 he said.


10. (SBU) The senior Finance representative agreed that the
budget gap is a critical question. Responding to criticisms
from the Minister of MATAP on Finance,s failure to release
budgeted elections funds, the representative said that
Finance needs to see an elections timeline. This comment
seemed only to exacerbate frustrations as the MATAP minister
launched into a critical oratory aimed at the absent Minister
of Finance. He said that the 2008 national budget, which was
approved by the National Assembly and the president, clearly
details how much money the GoG intends to spend on elections.
&There should be no conditions; the money belongs to
MATAP,8 he said, adding that &another minister has no right
to question what the money is being used for when it is
clearly detailed in the budget.8 The other ministers
quickly voiced their support for the MATAP minister,s
comment. The Minister of Justice added &the Ministry of
Finance is not a state within itself.8


11. (SBU) The MATAP minister then proceeded to read a letter
he had sent to the prime minister that week asking for the
PM,s help in getting the funds released, which was followed
by reading the PM,s response directing the Minster of
Finance to turn over the funds to MATAP.


12. (SBU) When able to get a word in edgewise, the French
representative said that it would be difficult to get
additional assistance from France if key steps are not
successfully undertaken, mentioning voter registration
specifically. Later, the UN Representative emphasized the
importance of a consistent budget with concrete activities
planned and then completed. She also commented that there is
a question of priorities since the GoG recently spent
significant funds on the country,s 50th anniversary
celebration, but that additional funds for elections have yet
to materialize.


13. (SBU) The Minister of Economic Control later said that
he agreed that the release of funds is important, especially
since the funds had already been allocated, but that there
also needs to be some plan for spending the funds
responsibly.


14. (SBU) The CENI representative was largely silent for the
duration of the meeting until the MATAP minister finally
invited him to speak towards the end of the meeting. He had
little to say other than to agree that funding was a
priority, noting that &we cannot continue to work like
this.8 According to the CENI representative, it was a shame
that the prime minister and the minister of finance were not
present at the meeting. The MATAP minister told the CENI to
write a letter detailing its financial needs and then offered
to intercede with the PM to get the funds released.

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COMMENT
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15. (SBU) The meeting had most of the gathered diplomats
exchanging questioning glances among themselves, and
figuratively scratching their heads. The MATAP minister
essentially refused to talk about anything other than the
budget, despite there having been several important issues to
address. Although he criticized the international community
while demanding more support, he appeared more interested in
using the meeting as a platform to bash the Minister of
Finance, and to dramatically illustrate that the lack of
funds is the only thing holding him back from doing his job.
Despite the chaotic nature of the meeting and the apparent
frustration of the donor community, the GoG has already taken
concrete steps this week to move elections forward. During
an elections focal group meeting on October 15, the GoG
reported that the Ministry of Finance had released budgeted
funds to MATAP. In addition, the voter registration campaign

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was launched in Boke and Fria over the weekend. END COMMENT.
RASPOLIC