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