SE Gration Visits Voter Registration Centers in Sudan

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001339 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM SU SUBJECT: SE Gration Visits Voter Registration Centers in Sudan ¶1. (SBU) Summary: United States Special Envoy to Sudan (SE) General Scott Gration visited a lively registration center in Khartoum on November 18 during a visit arranged by the National Congress Party (NCP). Additional visits to voter registration centers in Khartoum, Abyei and El Geneina showed that some Sudanese citizens are registering to vote. Sudanese press responded positively to SE Gration's message on the importance of participating in next year's elections. End summary. -------------- POTEMKIN VOTER REGISTRATION SHOW -------------- ¶2. (SBU) SE Gration visited a registration site in the Burri district of Khartoum on November 18. More than 20 NCP representatives were present along with a small number of opposition party representatives, and the over 50 men and women lined up to register to vote began chanting pro-Bashir slogans upon SE Gration's arrival. Two National Elections Commission officials who were busy registering voters reported that they had registered over 1,000 voters the previous day. (Note: This is an unlikely number given the time consuming registration process for each voter. End note.) On November 19, poloff returned unannounced to the same registration center and found the site largely vacant, with only a handful of people waiting to register and few party representatives present. -------------- NEW CENTERS IN ABYEI, EL GENEINA AND KHARTOUM -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On Thursday, November 19, SE Gration visited the opening day of the Abyei town voter registration center. The center consisted of a table and three chairs under a tree. Zakaria Atiem, the head of the NCP political office for the area told SE Gration that there are approximately 7,000 eligible voters in Abyei town and 158 had registered that morning. Two international monitors assigned to Abyei by the Carter Center were also in attendance. SE Gration asked whether they had witnessed irregularities, but they were unable to reply pursuant to election monitoring regulations. ¶4. (SBU) On Saturday, November 21, SE Gration and accompanying delegation visited a new voter registration center in Ardenata internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in El Geneina, West Darfur. At 9:00 a.m., SE Gration shook hands and congratulated the first voter to register at the center, which consisted of one chair and a folding table alongside the main dirt road in the camp. Speaking with SE Gration in Ardenata IDP camp, an UNMIS Team Leader for Elections in West Darfur said that he expects less than 30 percent of eligible voters will register to vote in West Darfur. (Note: Carter Center observers have estimated that approximately 19 percent of the eligible population in Darfur has registered so far. End note.) ¶5. (SBU) On Sunday, November 22, SE Gration and accompanying delegation visited another center in Khartoum to inspect progress on voter registration in poorer neighborhoods. The surprise visit to the Soba district of Khartoum took place in a underdeveloped neighborhood of unpaved roads and close to one of Khartoum's IDP camps. Speaking with SE Gration, the center supervisor noted was upbeat about voter registration. The supervisor said that eligible voters were coming in regularly to register, and no security incidents had threatened the work of his registration center. ¶6. (SBU) Following a meeting with an NCP official on Sunday, November 22, SE Gration spoke to radio and print media representatives in support of the elections. "I went to registration centers here in Khartoum, in Abyei and in Darfur. And I would encourage people to register to vote. This is a responsibility that I take very seriously. In my country, I vote in every election that I get a chance to vote. I make my will known. It is part of the democratic process. And we are pleased to see that Sudan is entering into the registration period, that things are proceeding, and we look forward to a good election in April." ¶7. (SBU) Comment: With ample advance notice of the visit to the Burri registration center, the Khartoum State Election High Committee put on a good show for the SE's delegation. Other unannounced visits to other voter registration centers have nonetheless shown considerable commitment on the part of local participants to register themselves. SE Gration's comments to Sudanese and international media received an overall positive response from local press. End comment. WHITEHEAD