COTE D'IVOIRE: UN CERTIFICATION OF ELECTION

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000350

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM UN IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: UN CERTIFICATION OF ELECTION
EXPLAINED


1. (U) Summary. SRSG Choi held a press conference on May 27
to counter misinformation about the UN certification of Cote
d'Ivoire's election. There has been confusion among both
Ivoirians and the international community about how the
certification will be conducted. Choi clarified the
certification process stressing that the purpose is not to
seek flaws in the electoral process but to assure Ivoirians
that they will have an election they can be proud of. Choi
said he will keep watch to ensure that all stages of the
process are carried out according to the five-criteria
framework already elaborated. End Summary.


2. (U) The UN Security Council in resolution 1765 of July 16,
2007 decided that the Secretary General's Special
Representative in Cote d'Ivoire (currently Y.J. Choi) shall
certify that all stages of the electoral process provide the
necessary guarantees for the holding of open, free, fair and
transparent presidential and legislative elections in
accordance with international standards. The Secretary
General's sixteenth progress report on UNOCI (dated April 15,
2008),laid out the five-criteria framework elaborated by the
SRSG for certifying all stages of the electoral process.
According to the framework, the SRSG will assess whether: 1)
a secure environment exists during the period leading to the
elections and allows for the full participation of the
population and the candidates in the process; 2) the
electoral process is inclusive; 3) all candidates have
equitable access to state-controlled media and whether the
latter remains neutral; 4) the electoral lists are credible
and accepted by all parties; and 5) the results of the
elections are determined through a transparent counting
process and are accepted by all or are challenged peacefully
through the appropriate channels.


3. (U) At the press conference, Choi noted that he
established the five criteria in consultation with Cote
d'Ivoire's political actors as well as Burkina Faso President
Compaore, the Facilitator for the Ouagadougou Political
Agreement (OPA). Choi statQ.H:hat once he has certified the
electoral list, he will not allow any subsequent challenges
to it. Likewise, once the election results are certified,
Choi said he would not allow any non-democratic challenges to
the results. Choi said that the electoral process and the
tallying of results must occur in a peaceful environment and
that no one can be excluded from the process. The state
media must be impartial and fair towards all candidates,
parties, and political groups. He explained that all
candidates must be given equitable access to the
state-controlled media once the electoral list has been
published.


4. (U) Choi said that a group of experts working in a
certification cell set up at UNOCI will continuously evaluate
the electoral process. If problems are brought to his
attention, Choi said he would first encourage the relevant
parties to take the measures necessary to correct the
situation. If that does not resolve the problem, he will
engage with leading Ivoirian actors to identify national
solutions. If that fails, he will ask the OPA Facilitator to
arbritrate. If that also fails, he will refer the matter to
the UN Security Council. Choi promised to utilize all
measures at his disposal to ensure that the election results
are accepted and that the victor is the person who actually
won the election.

N^SBITT