GUINEA'S LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS - PROGRESS REPORT

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000616

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: GUINEA'S LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS - PROGRESS REPORT

REF: A) CONAKRY 0485
B) CONAKRY 0604


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Guinea's voter registration process is off to a
sluggish start due to logistical challenges, although recent
developments indicate that some of the more problematic issues are
approaching resolution. Challenges remain, but things appear to be
moving forward, albeit slowly. A new target date for legislative
elections has not been determined. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) The UN chairs a regular, multi-lateral focal group meeting
on Guinea's legislative elections at least twice monthly. Meeting
participants include technical representatives from the EU, France,
ECOWAS, Japan, and the US. NGOs such as IFES occasionally
participate, as do Guinean Government officials. USAID
representatives attended the two most recent meetings on October 8
and October 14. The Director of Political Affairs at the Ministry
of Territorial Administration and Political Affairs (MATAP) attended
the October 14 meeting. The following information was reported in
the meetings.


3. (SBU) The EU-financed voter registration campaign was launched
in August, but has been slow to get underway due to various
logistical challenges (reftel). As of October 14, approximately
1,426 out of 1,800 registrars had signed contracts and reported to
their assigned registration districts. After earlier disagreements
about the remuneration packages, most of the registrars have agreed
to a payment of 800,000 GnF ($165) a month for the contracted
services, which is 200,000 GnF ($41) more than originally planned.
The unanticipated expense has resulted in a funding gap equal to
approximately $485,000. France and the EU indicated that they may
be able to help cover this gap.


4. (SBU) Due to MATAP's delay in issuing payments because of
budgetary constraints, the UN agreed on October 8 to advance the
200,000 GnF per person increase, which will be reimbursed by the
GoG. During the October 14 meeting, MATAP announced that the
ministry had finally received the budgeted 7.9 billion GnF ($1.7
million) from the Ministry of Finance, which includes the money for
the registrars.


5. (SBU) Another stumbling block has been the distribution of fuel
to the registrars. MATAP stated that fuel from Conakry was in the
process of being transported to centralized points in Boke, Mamou,
Labe, Faranah, N'Zerekore, and Kankan.


6. (SBU) MATAP reported that the registration process had been
successfully launched in Boke and Fria over the weekend. On October
18, MATAP and the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI)
broadcast a brief information program on the registration process
over national television.


7. (SBU) The French representative announced that the French
Embassy had recently sponsored a training program for 170 judges
focusing on how to handle electoral disputes.

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COMMENT
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8. (SBU) Although the registration process was launched nearly two
months ago, few people have actually been registered due to delays
in deploying the registration teams, disagreements over compensation
packages, and other technical issues. During an inter-ministerial
meeting on October 10, the MATAP minister indicated that any GoG
delays have occurred only because the ministry of finance refused to
issue budgeted funds (reftel B). The release of funds earlier this
week suggests that this issue may be resolved. Challenges remain,
but things appear to be moving slowly forward. There still has been
no discussion of a target date, although the MATAP representative
told the group that the next date, once it is chosen, "will not
change." END COMMENT.

RASPOLIC