CANADA ON IRAN'S ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000380 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2013 TAGS: PREL KDEM PHUM IR CA SUBJECT: CANADA ON IRAN'S ELECTIONS REF: STATE 25587 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In a meeting with PolMinCouns on March 14, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) Director General for the Middle East and North Africa Gordon ¶E. Venner (a former Ambassador to Iran) expressed appreciation for the draft U.S. statement on Iran's parliamentary elections (reftel). He said that DFAIT had prepared contingency press guidance "along the same lines," calling the elections a "farce" due to its "deeply flawed process," which was "clearly non-democratic." He indicated, however, that there was little inclination within DFAIT to issue a statement, claiming that there was "no point." He nonetheless promised to discuss again with Deputy Foreign Minister Len Edwards later that day. PolMinCouns underscored that Canada, as a democratic nation with a long-time diplomatic presence in Teheran, was in an excellent position to comment substantively on what its officials had observed first-hand. Venner noted that, even if DFAIT recommended such a statement, the Prime Minister's Office might not concur if it seemed to interfere with the "message of the day." PolMinCouns pointed to the successful vote in Parliament on March 13 to extend the Canadian Forces' role in Afghanistan through 2011 -- in part to promote democratic values -- and commented that highlighting the difference between what the international community had achieved in bringing democracy to Afghanistan and what was happening in Iran's flawed elections would make sense. Venner agreed to consider issuance of a statement further. ¶2. (C) Venner also welcomed the opportunity to participate in the April 10-11 Iran Trilaterals in Washington, and reiterated that Canada remained fully supportive of all of the efforts and resolutions of the UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran. He expressed frustration, however, that these were "not working" and that there seemed to be so few alternatives. He expressed the hope that the upcoming discussions would clarify desirable and more effective next steps by the international community. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE