PRE-ELECTION CONFIDENCE FROM CHIEF COMMISSIONER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000244 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR SL SUBJECT: PRE-ELECTION CONFIDENCE FROM CHIEF COMMISSIONER Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: This is the first in a series of messages leading up to the July 5 local elections in Sierra Leone. On May 15, Ambassador Perry, accompanied by Poloff, met with the National Electoral Chief Commissioner, Christiana Thorpe, to discuss preparations for the July 5 local elections. Thorpe assured the Ambassador that the election will take place on schedule, and that the parties are well-informed, engaged, and generally positive participants in the preparatory processes. Thorpe also praised the U.S. Government-funded efforts to support female candidates and increased women's civic participation, and encouraged further funding to be allocated for these purposes in the years to come. Despite Thorpe's confidence, some UNDP electoral advisors have expressed concern that scheduling delays might undermine confidence in the final results. END SUMMARY. -------------- PROGRESS TO DATE -------------- ¶2. (SBU) While the path to the local elections has not been smooth, with rumors of delays due to procurement issues and controversy over boundary delimitation, Thorpe reported that all issues have been resolved and that she expects the elections to take place as planned on July 5. The materials needed for registering new voters or changing previous registrations are ready, with the process scheduled to take place May 29 through June 4. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) expects 400,000 voters to either register for the first time or change their ward allocation during this period. ¶3. (SBU) Thorpe stated that she had explained the highly technical process of determining the boundary delimitation to members of parliament and political party executives. Ultimately, all accepted and approved these boundaries for the purposes of the local election. Thorpe stated that the resolution of these formerly contentious issues and continued commitment to a meticulously planned process will lead to the elections taking place on schedule. Final results will be announced on a rolling basis in the five regions on July 23. -------------- NEED FOR CONTINUED USG ENGAGEMENT -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador complimented the Commissioner for her ongoing work, and inquired about how the U.S. Government can be of further assistance. Thorpe replied that continuing to support efforts to engage women in the political process will be extremely beneficial, both now and in the future. She praised efforts to educate and empower girls through such means as the Ambassador's Girls' Scholarship Fund. Thorpe is hopeful for future generations of Sierra Leonean women. However, she also sees a need to focus on earlier generations of women, particularly those whose education was interrupted by the war. Thorpe suggested that evening literacy programs throughout the country to educate women and help build their confidence will help them to both stand as candidates and make informed decisions as voters. She also thanked the USG for the promised of the donation of used vehicles to the NEC. ¶5. (SBU) Thorpe also mentioned her goal of creating an electoral management institution, to enhance the capacity of the NEC staff and encourage other Sierra Leoneans to learn to conduct free and fair elections. Such an institution would further entrench Sierra Leone's commitment to democratic principles and ability to maintain the high standards set by the transparent and peaceful 2007 national elections. -------------- COULD BE IN FOR A BUMPY RIDE: THE UNDP VIEW -------------- ¶6. (C) While Thorpe claimed to expect a smooth ride from now until July 5, UNDP contacts working on the Electoral Assistance Team (EAT) paint a slightly different picture. The original schedule was already considered tight by experts. Procurement delays have pushed the entire operation approximately two weeks behind schedule. Members of the EAT are most concerned about the shortness of the period reserved for processing and reviewing new voter registrations, which has been whittled down to less than two weeks. Technological or human errors encountered during data processing can prove difficult to solve in a country like Sierra Leone. Nevertheless, EAT members report that they were told the election must occur on July 5, regardless of any problems experienced while amassing the final register of electors (FRE). This raises the possibility that the FRE might be incomplete or incorrect, creating irregularities that the EAT would like to avoid. FREETOWN 00000244 002 OF 002 -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) While no one has a crystal ball in terms of what the weeks leading to the election will bring, there are many positive signs that the election will proceed on-schedule and with few irregularities. However, pressure to meet the July 5 target date could lead to cutting corners in critical preparatory elements. If the registration process proves difficult, the quality of the election, rather than its timeliness, could be called into question. END COMMENT. PERRY