Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COTONOU802
2008-12-23 12:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Cotonou
Cable title:  

BENIN: DESIGNING A PERMANENT COMPUTERIZED VOTE REGISTRY: A

Tags:  PGOV PREL BN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3651
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0802/01 3581252
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231252Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0708
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1377
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0405
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000802 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W ACOOK
LONDON FOR PETER LORD
PARIS FOR BKANEDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: DESIGNING A PERMANENT COMPUTERIZED VOTE REGISTRY: A
CHALLENGE?

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000802

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W ACOOK
LONDON FOR PETER LORD
PARIS FOR BKANEDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: DESIGNING A PERMANENT COMPUTERIZED VOTE REGISTRY: A
CHALLENGE?


1. (U) SUMMARY: On December 10, the Head of the European Commission
delegation to Benin, Ambassador Elisabeth Feret, in conjunction with
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Office and Financial
and Technical Partners (FTPs),officially presented to President
Yayi a feasibility report on the design of a Permanent Computerized
Vote Registry (LEPI) ahead of the 2011 presidential and legislative
elections. The report provides updated financial, technical and
legal details of the long-planned LEPI. The experts that carried out
the study proposed that a couple of provisions in the current
Beninese Election Law be amended to adjust to the LEPI's
requirements. They also addressed the need for reaching political
consensus and popular acceptance as a prerequisite for a successful
completion of the LEPI. While President Yayi has demonstrated
commitment to putting the LEPI in place to ensure transparent
elections in 2011, Post is concerned that its creation could be
hampered by the current deadlock in the National Assembly and the
perceived indifference of political leaders to the project. END
SUMMARY.


2. (U) On December 10, President Yayi received the LEPI feasibility
report at the Presidential Palace before a large audience composed
of Beninese Ministers, parliamentarians, high-ranking officials, and
members of diplomatic missions accredited to Benin including
Ambassador Brown. Ambassador Elisabeth Feret, Head of the European
Commission delegation to Benin, briefed participants on the content
of the report, stressing that the LEPI is technically feasible
before the 2011 elections. However, she said that Beninese
authorities would need to proceed with the revision of the Beninese
Election Law, no later than March 2009, in order to meet the
deadline for accomplishing the LEPI. In his speech, President Yayi
acknowledged that it was a must for the Beninese people to have fair
and transparent elections which would strengthen democracy. Finally,
he pledged that he would do everything in his ability to meet the
deadline by having deputies amend the election law. It is notable
that the handover was organized under the auspices of Mrs. Lea
Hounkph, Permanent Secretary of the National Independent Electoral
Commission (SAP-CENA) and formerly President Yayi's Minister of

Technical Education, and Vocational Training.


3. (SBU) The U.S. Embassy has been identified as a Technical and
Financial Partner (TFP) to the LEPI's project. Consequently, Mission
representatives have attended TFP meetings since 2006. On December
9, the European Commission delegation sent the Embassy, an embargoed
electronic copy of the 83-page report. The report elaborated on an
initial study conducted by the Canadian International Foundation for
Electoral System (IFES) in 1998 and on other successive updates
funded jointly in 2000 by USAID and the Danish International
Development Agency (DANIDA) and UNDP, in 2003 by UNDP, and in 2004
by DANIDA. The methodology that the experts have proposed to develop
the LEPI comprises a general population census with the registration
of individuals aged ten and over, to allow an anticipated management
of a national voter registry over several years. The registration
will be based on Beninese citizens' personal, nominative and
biometric details. A National Processing Center is planned to be
created in order to centralize data collected from the 77 communes.
The process will end up with the printing and distribution of voter
cards.


4. (U) The report highlights the necessary amendment of Article 11
of Act No 2007-25 of November 23, 2007 related to the general rules
that govern elections in Benin, which requires Beninese citizens to
register on presentation of identity cards. Obviously, this specific
provision will prevent a large majority of Beninese who do not
possess identity cards from being registered under the LEPI.
Legislators will also need to revise Article 15 of the same Act.
This article contains a conflict of responsibility between the
National Independent Electoral Commission (CENA),a body named for
each election and in charge of voters' registration, and the
Permanent Secretary of the Commission (SAP-CENA) which is
responsible for computerizing and updating the voter registry
between two elections. The revision of Article 15 is expected to
clarify the issue as to which body will actually be tasked with
supervising the implementation of the LEPI.


5. (SBU) In the framework of the LEPI, TFPs are donor countries and
international organizations that support the implementation of the
LEPI. These include the United States of America, France, Belgium,
China, Denmark, the Netherlands, the European Commission and the
United Nations Development Program. While the provisional budget for
the LEPI amounts to approximately 320,000,000 US Dollars, the EU has
contributed 7,050,000 US Dollars, UNDP about 200,000 US Dollars,
Denmark around 2,397,000 US Dollars and the Netherlands 2,820,000 US
Dollars. The other donors including France, Belgium and China are
expected to financially support the effort. So far, the USG has not
committed financially but Post has demonstrated USG interest in the

COTONOU 00000802 002 OF 002


project.


6. (SBU) During a TPFs' meeting at the office of the European
Commission Delegation on December 5, Mrs. Feret said that political
leaders whom the Commission has consulted for sensitization and
lobbying have demonstrated little enthusiasm for the LEPI. A case in
point is the total indifference that Adrien Houngbedji, the leader
of the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) showed when the experts
briefed him on the LEPI. Most opposition leaders believe that
President Yayi will control the LEPI for his own benefit.


7. (SBU) COMMENT: Post is not certain that the LEPI will be
implemented before the 2011 presidential and legislative elections
as a consequence of the increasing tension between President Yayi
and the opposition. The design of the LEPI requires broad-based
consensus, which is currently lacking in the Beninese political
sphere. Elections in Benin have always been marred with allegations
of fraud and irregularities. The 2011 presidential and legislative
elections may not differ much from past elections, or turn out
worse, if the GOB fails to guarantee a transparent and efficient
voter registry. END COMMENT

BROWN