CARG HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION PARTY INCREASING BEFORE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000183 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C USUN FOR DMUERS PARIS FOR RKANEDA LONDON FOR PLORD NAIROBI FOR AKARAS AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL INR FOR CNEARY DRL FOR SCRAMPTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR CT SUBJECT: CARG HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION PARTY INCREASING BEFORE ELECTIONS REF: A. A - 09 BANGUI 68 ¶B. B - 09 BANGUI 171 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On August 17, 2009, the Ambassador received an email from Martin Ziguele, former Prime Minister and 2010 presidential candidate (Ref A),outlining a meeting in which Ziguele alleges that the Prime Minister and two other prominent member's of President Bozize's cabinet accused him of plotting to assassinate President Bozize and overthrow the government. This e-mail follows multiple reports of harassment by the government against Ziguele's party (the MLPC - Movement for the Liberation of Central African People) over the previous months. The MLPC is the only credible alternative to Bozize's political movement (the KNK - Work, only Work) and there are increasing reports that the KNK is bullying the opposition as well as reports that it is flooding the countryside with cash. All of this bodes poorly for the fairness of the upcoming elections. While Post stresses that this was a letter sent to the Ambassador directly from Ziguele and that there has been no independent confirmation of the meeting or its agenda, the report is credible. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Ziguele met with Prime Minister Faustin Touadera, Minister of Plans and the Economy Sylvain Maliko and Minister of Security, Immigration and Public Order, the infamous Jules Ouandet (Ref B) on 14 August, 2009. The meeting was requested by Minister Ouandet. During the meeting, Ouandet stated that ``a trusted source'' had informed the state security service that Ziguele recently went to the Presidential Palace (Palais de l'Elysee) in Paris, accompanied by a ``white person'' to inform the French of his plans to: - Mobilize the opposition to boycott the 2010 elections. - Organize a coup to kill President Bozize. - Set up a transitional process that he would head before organizing elections that he would skew in his favor. (NOTE: This is the exactly what Bozize is alleged to have done in the lead up the 2005 elections. END NOTE). Ziguele is alleged to have told the French that he has the support of three rebel movements (not specified) and that they will uphold his effort to become president. He is further alleged to have sought French ``neutrality''. Minister Ouandet concluded by saying that the government, ``will take appropriate action''. ¶3. (SBU) The Prime Minister asked Ziguele to react. Ziguele did not address the charges directly but instead decried harassment of him and his party. He demanded a meeting with the informant before the end of September 2009 or threatened to officially notify the French government of the charges made against him (COMMENT: Considering he sent this to the Ambassador, it is likely he has already sent the same document to the French. At least one local newspaper also has a copy of the note. END COMMENT). He also demanded an immediate meeting with Bozize. The meeting apparently concluded with both the Prime Minister and Minister of Plans saying they did not want to cause a polemic and that the meeting was simply for Ziguele's information. ¶4. (SBU) In light of the coming presidential elections, the MLPC is seeking to reorganize their local party affiliates. Party workers, however, have been held up three times since the start of the year during upcountry travel by gendarmes and Presidential Guard - with the most recent stoppage resulting in the halting of an official party for three days. During the delays, the MLPC members were faced with taunts and other harassment in addition to the blockage of their travel. ¶5. (SBU) Post has received multiple reports of large cash payments to farmers for long uncollected agricultural goods from BANGUI 00000183 002 OF 002 sitting ministers as they travel in support of the government. Apparently, in an effort to buy support for the President, members of the government are paying for the cash crops that have laid uncollected since the destruction of the cash crop economy by then rebel chief Bozize's army in 2002-2003. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Rumors of the meeting are already circulating among the press in Bangui and it is unlikely that the story is a complete fabrication. If Ouandet had proof of his allegations, why was Ziguele not arrested on the spot? The Prime Minister's assertion that he did not want to create an issue of the accusations is in direct contradiction to the gravity of the allegations. When taken in conjunction with the numerous instances of harassment by members of the State apparatuses of the MLPC as well as the cash payments by the ministers, a pattern of abuse and provocation by the President's supporters is emerging. Good faith by the government in the early stages of the election process has been virtually non-existent, and further irregularities in the lead up to the elections are likely. END COMMENT. COOK