SUDAN'S NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO MISS ITS SECOND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000714 DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/E, DRL NSC FOR MGAVIN DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KDEM SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: SUDAN'S NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO MISS ITS SECOND DEADLINE: VOTER REGISTRATION REF: A) KHARTOUM 696 B) KHARTOUM 578 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The February 2010 election timeframe announced by Sudan's National Electoral Commission (NEC) in April remains unchanged, but voter registration that was supposed to begin on June 2 in conjunction with that announcement is not even close to starting, according to UNMIS Electoral Chief Affairs Officer Ray Kennedy. Kennedy also noted that the NEC is still struggling with a serious lack of capacity, and that its policy-making and operational activities are both suffering as a result. On a more positive note, the NEC has approved UNDP's Project Document for international support to elections and democratic processes. The total budget for electoral assistance in the UNDP document currently stands at $68.7 million (to be provided by international donors,) though this is expected to grow significantly in coming months. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On May 28, poloff attended the monthly meeting of the Electoral Assistance Group (EAG) in Khartoum. UNMIS Chief Electoral Affairs Officer Ray Kennedy told donors that the February 2010 election date announced by the NEC remains the official date, but that the voter registration supposed to begin on June 2 in conjunction with that announcement was "not even close" to happening. Noting that numerous stakeholders were expecting voter registration to begin imminently, Kennedy urged that the NEC disseminate information on the status of registration efforts. He further reflected that if the delay in elections extends beyond April 2010, this would force elections to be held during the rainy season, adding additional obstacles to the already complicated endeavor [Note: Elections happening after April 2010 could also complicate preparation for the 2011 southern Sudan Referendum. End Note.] ¶3. (SBU) The NEC is still struggling with a number of issues ranging from making key policy decisions to developing a budget for the electoral process, according to Kennedy. NEC capacity issues remain significant problems, he said, adding that the recent shifting of the awareness function from the NEC's Technical Committee to its Communication and Outreach Committee was unlikely to bring about any significant changes. "It's just shifting responsibilities without adding any new resources," he remarked. The NEC has brought onboard a media advisor, he said, which he hoped would help build capacity within the Commission. But overall, the NEC remains understaffed and underfunded, with the nine commissioners themselves, rather than technical support staff, involved in both policy-making and day-to-day operational activities (ref A). "As a result, both suffer," he said. ¶4. (SBU) Kennedy noted that the NEC has sent small teams to the 25 state-level and Southern Sudan high electoral commissions to deliver contracts for the State high commission members so that the latter can begin looking at the issue of constituency delimitation [Note: Constituency delimitation was supposed to have been completed by May 15 per the NEC's April announcement, but is also severely behind schedule. End Note.] A British Department of International Development (DFID) official here questioned how the appointment of State high commission members was conducted, expressing concern that it was not an inclusive group. Nearly 80 percent of the members are former civil servants, she said, including 20 percent who formerly belonged to the police force. As a result, civil society groups and women are underrepresented. She questioned whether as former members of the state apparatus, the appointees met the requisite criteria of being "independent, experienced, non-partisan, and impartial." In response, Kennedy noted that the overabundance of former civil servants could be explained by the fact that due to their former professions (teachers, administrators, etc.),they were most likely to have the experience and qualifications necessary for the work of the commissions. ¶5. (SBU) Kennedy also briefed the donors on other aspects of elections preparation, noting that he has provided feedback to the NEC on draft voter registration and constituency delimitation rules. With regard to the UN Electoral Needs Assessment Mission (NAM), which completed a ten day visit to Sudan in early May, Kennedy stated that UNMIS has not yet been provided a draft of its findings. Regarding security preparations, Kennedy stated that UNMIS is working with UN and national police to provide security training and monitoring and to develop a cohesive security plan to support the electoral process. ¶6. (SBU) UNDP Electoral Officer Mary An told the donors that the Project Document for UNDP's support for Elections and Democratic Processes has been approved by the NEC, and a signing ceremony would KHARTOUM 00000714 002 OF 002 be held later that day. The Project Document is expected to remain a "living document", she said, as it currently lacks key information on boundary delineation, registration, polling and other topics to be added later. (Note: The Project Document contains the budget for the Electio Assist!nce$Basket Fnd(DQBF),end aayt8fUndyng fro- jacket!fu/d"Domv,$Wdislqobutgpie$C( Nddnrmal$[.J2!jQu/ xuQQE,avmC1.B]iQ dnn:5o_(um'$mue`Qwperations with the NEC, UNMIS and UNDP electoral officers. ¶7. (SBU) A number of UNDP procurements are in the pipeline following various requests from the NEC, including the furnishing of state offices and help in setting up the NEC Media Center. The Political Parties Affairs Council (PPAC) has also requested funding to furnish its headquarters. In terms of Requests For Proposals (RFPs),a proposal for the provision of support and training for domestic observers worth $3.2 million is currently in the final stage of approval at UN Headquarters in New York. Proposals for Media Support and Monitoring Services are being explored, while the RFP for Civic and Voter Education was scrapped due to the small bidding pool. In-house advisors will be used instead, according to An. In addition, a number of medium (around $80,000) and small ($3,000) grants for elections support will be distributed in the coming months, she said, with distribution of the medium grants beginning early summer and small grants in early fall. ¶8. (SBU) Comment: The NEC's low capacity and largely unworkable operational model remain troubling obstacles to progress in the electoral process, though co-location may improve NEC coordination with UNMIS and UNDP. This could ease the NEC's resistance to international technical and policy expertise. While the current electoral calendar allows for some slippage in constituency delimitation and voter registration, any further setbacks threaten to delay the elections past April 2010 and into the rainy season. This would heighten already significant challenges of carrying out free and fair elections in Sudan, as well as negatively impact preparations for the January 2011 southern Sudan Referendum. WHITEHEAD