ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION SUBMITS ITS REPORT ON MARCH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLONIA 000138 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/ANP DRL, CHRIS CAMPONOVO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID FM SUBJECT: ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION SUBMITS ITS REPORT ON MARCH 2009 ELECTIONS REF: A) KOLONIA 28; B) KOLONIA 38 ¶1. (U) Summary: DRL Senior Advisor Chris Camponovo and Gerard Finin from the East West Center recently traveled to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to present the Final Report of the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership's (APDP) March election observation mission to a range of Chuuk state and FSM national government officials, including President Mori. The report was well-received by all interlocutors, who agreed to work with the USG to see how APDP's recommendations might be implemented in advance of national elections scheduled for 2011. Many of the recommendations fit squarely within the Compact's capacity-building category and would be relatively inexpensive to implement. Camponovo will follow up with DOI representatives as well as election-experts in the U.S. End Summary. The Positives -------------- ¶2. (U) In March 2009, the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP) sent an election observation mission to the FSM to observe the Chuuk state gubernatorial and national congressional elections. The East-West Center's Pacific Island Development Program managed the logistics of the observation on behalf of APDP (ref A). Camponovo and Finin travelled to Chuuk and Pohnpei from October 14 - 19 to formally present the report and its conclusions and recommendations to a wide range of government and non-government actors - at both the state and national level. Notably, they met with President Emanuel Mori, and held an in depth conversation with his Chief of Staff, Kasio ¶E. Mida. They also discussed the report with Chuuk State Governor Simina and representatives of both houses of the Chuuk Congress, as well as with representatives of the National, Chuuk and Pohnpei Election Commissions. Finally, while in Kolonia, they spoke with representatives of the Kaselehlie Press and Calvary Baptist Radio. ¶3. (U) In presenting the Report, Camponovo and Finin praised the extent to which the elections were transparent and peaceful. They also expressed the delegation's appreciation for the government's willingness to host the APDP team as well as the impressive amount of local participation, particularly in Chuuk state. The APDP delegation was particularly impressed with the hard work and dedication shown by election commission officials �00A;in the face of enormous challenges and resource constraints. Overall, the delegation concluded, albeit based only on its short-term observation, that the election was not marred by widespread fraud, and the results appeared to reflect the will of the electorate. Notwithstanding these conclusions, the Report makes a series of recommendations to improve the election process, the implementation of which would strengthen democracy and lead to greater confidence in the process and results among the people of the FSM. The Recommendations -------------- ¶4. (U) First, there is substantial overlap between the activities of the Chuuk state and national election commissions (e.g., two ballot boxes, two voter registration lists, two sets of poll workers) - overlap that leads to inconsistencies and wasted resources. The Report recommends that the FSM and Chuuk state authorities coordinate and consolidate their activities. This may require regulatory and legislative reform, but if there are no substantive or policy reasons for parallel activities, this should not prove difficult to obtain. ¶5. (U) Second, the APDP observers noted a general lack of education and training among poll workers and poll watchers. As a result, there were a number of inconsistent practices among polling places. Similarly, the observers recommended greater education for voters - not only on the issues, but also on their electoral rights. Moreover, there were no independent poll watchers - only those who represented individual candidates. A vibrant, independent civil society presence would contribute greatly to voter confidence in the process. ¶6. (U) Third, the Report recommends that Chuuk state authorities look closely at the tabulation process in order to develop better procedures that will minimize confusion and reduce opportunities for mistakes and possible fraud. The APDP delegation observed overcrowded tabulation centers and a general environment of confusion during the tabulation process. Moreover, there were a number of inconsistencies in the counting process that would be minimized through better training and KOLONIA 00000138 002 OF 002 granting limited access to the tabulation centers. The Concerns -------------- ¶7. (U) Camponovo and Finin stressed that many of the irregularities the delegation witnessed did not necessarily reflect outright fraud; however, they created the opportunity for fraud. Moreover, when voters see irregularities like the ones above, they have less confidence in the process and, therefore, may be more likely to question the results of an election. Camponovo and Finin indicated there are a number of NGOs in the U.S. that have developed extensive experience in electoral systems who would be willing to design a program to assist the authorities in FSM, most notably in Chuuk, improve the electoral process. Camponovo, in particular, offered to reach out to these NGOs to brief them on the Report and APDP's recommendations. Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) A program of the nature outlined by Finin and Camponovo during their visit would not require a substantial resource commitment. Furthermore it would fit within the Compact of Free Association's capacity-building element, which is already funded by the U.S. Not only would it go a long way toward increasing public confidence in the electoral process, particularly in Chuuk, but it would not require significant sacrifices in other areas. Following elections, particularly in Chuuk, the courts regularly receive multiple complaints about fraud and other voter irregularities. Addressing such issues at the beginning of an election process through the recommendations in the APDP report may help avoid costly and lengthy election related court cases. Post recommends that Department and DOI/OIA consider approving the use of Compact funds for this purpose if and when a request for funding is made by the FSM. End Comment. DOUGLASS