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.

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PROGRESS TO DATE
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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.

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NEED FOR CONTINUED USG ENGAGEMENT
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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.

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COULD BE IN FOR A BUMPY RIDE: THE UNDP VIEW
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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.

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COMMENT
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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