US FUNDED ELECTION OBSERVERS GENERALLY POSITIVE ON NATIONAL

UNCLAS KOLONIA 000028 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM FM SUBJECT: US FUNDED ELECTION OBSERVERS GENERALLY POSITIVE ON NATIONAL AND STATE ELECTIONS IN CHUUK REF: 3-5-09 EMAIL WEMHOENER-CUITE TO NEVILLE ¶1. (U) The East-West Center (EWC),through the Department's Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP),provided an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the March 3, 2009 national elections for some Congressional seats in the Federated States of Micronesia. Observers concentrated their efforts in Chuuk State, which conducts its State level elections at the same time as the national election in order to save money on some transportation costs. The EOM Head of Delegation was American Samoa Congressman Eni Faleomaevega. The EWC provided a draft "Preliminary Statement" by the EOM to Faleomaevega on March 4 for review and release. As of March 6, the EWC had not yet released the statement. ¶2. (SBU) The draft statement concludes that the "APDP delegation is optimistic that the FSM Congressional and Chuuk State Executive and Legislative election on March 3 will reflect the will of the people of the FSM." The draft statement highlights, however, that observers "noted some irregularities and procedural inconsistencies." ¶3. (SBU) The EWC will draft a full report in the coming weeks detailing both positive and negative aspects of the March 3 state and national elections. As highlighted in the draft preliminary statement (Ref),the general consensus of the EOM is that the elections were successful. National level staff, including volunteer poll workers, appeared better organized and prepared than their state election counterparts. During the initial outbriefs with members of the EOM, the general consensus appears to be that outcomes of both the state and national elections will represent the will of the people. ¶4. (SBU) Despite an overall positive outcome, there were isolated discrepancies in the electoral process, mostly at the state level. One observer, for example, witnessed a state poll worker on Weno Island stuffing ballots. The official ballots were photocopies and had no security features, such as a numbered series, making the identification of the stuffed ballots difficult at best. On Tol Island, a regional National Election Supervisor told Econ/Conoff that he dismissed a poll worker two and half hours into balloting after complaints from voters that he was filling in ballots prior to distributing them to voters. The supervisor added that the voters lodged the same complaint against state poll workers in the same area, but that he had no authority to intervene in the state electoral process. ¶5. (SBU) Observers also noted irregularities during the state ballot counts. State officials counted ballots from the Faichuuk region in the Public Affairs Office on the main island of Weno. (Note: Peace Corps offices are co-located in the same building. End Note.) Difficulties included not knowing which part of the building to use, who to permit into the building or the compound, what instructions to provide the counters, and who the poll watchers were. In addition, the local supervisor overseeing the count told Econ/Conoff that at least one poll location did not trust the officials transporting the ballot boxes and decided to use their own locks on their ballot box. The counters could not open the box. When counting began, the supervisor opened two boxes and permitted poll workers to count the ballots from one box while poll watchers counted the ballots from the second box. ¶6. (SBU) Although official results are not yet available, early indications are that the Chuuk Gubernatorial race will require a runoff, as no one of the three candidates won more than 50 percent of the total vote. Early counts have current Governor Wesley Simina holding a diminishing lead over challengers Gillian Doone and former Vice President Redley Killion. Reports on who has the second most votes have changed multiple times through March 6. Asked about the possibility of a runoff election, state election officials told observers that although a runoff was mandatory in the event that no candidate garnered a simple majority, they did not know how the state would fund such an effort, which would take place March 31. Many of the officials (who were also state employees) commented that the state was likely not to pay them for the work done on the initial election due to a shortage of funds, much less provide funding for another round of voting. Expenses must additionally cover cost of transport of poll workers and ballot boxes to Chuuk's many outlying islands, as well as voting sites in Honolulu and Guam. ¶7. (U) Comment: Post appreciates the Department's efforts in funding and supporting the EOM to the FSM. Post particularly noted DRL's Christopher Camponovo's strenuous work with FSM and EWC officials and his coordination with Post to assure the EOM was a success. End Comment. HUGHESMK