CHARGE PRESSES FM ON ELECTIONS TRANSPARENCY ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001137 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM MZ SUBJECT: CHARGE PRESSES FM ON ELECTIONS TRANSPARENCY ISSUES Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Todd C. Chapman, Reasons 1.4(b+d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On October 13, the Charge met with Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi to discuss ongoing donor community concerns about transparency in the October 28 Mozambican election and the resulting slippage in Mozambique's international reputation. Baloi noted his recent meetings with USG officials at UNGA, noting with special delight the opportunity to meet President Obama, and responded that the GRM was following the rule of law and criticized perceived donor support of new opposition party Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM). FM Baloi's negative reaction to USG concerns and his comments show that the GRM is very confident in the moves it is making to ensure a resounding FRELIMO victory. END SUMMARY. -------------- FM Notes USG Meetings at UNGA -------------- ¶2. (C) The Charge opened the meeting with Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi on October 13 thanking him for President Guebuza's kind congratulatory comments on President Obama's winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Baloi then recounted his immense pleasure in meeting President Obama and the First Lady in New York and was most appreciative of the opportunity to have his photo taken with them. He also appreciated the opportunity to have a constructive meeting with AF Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, noting his hope that A/S Carson could soon visit Mozambique. -------------- Mozambique's Image is Tarnished -------------- ¶3. (C) Baloi noted his regret that he had not been in Mozambique when many Ambassadors and Charges met first with CNE President da Costa and then President Guebuza. He heard reports of these meetings, but asked that the Charge give him "the feeling" of the meetings and what prompted them. The Charge told the Foreign Minister that the ruling FRELIMO party's handling of the elections had changed international perceptions of Mozambique for the worse. The Charge said that Mozambique's image in Washington--perhaps its biggest asset--had been tarnished by the exclusion of opposition parties and reflected badly on the country's reputation. The Charge also noted that despite numerous public and private warnings about these concerns from the USG and other international donors to senior members of the Government of Mozambique (GRM) and the FRELIMO party, the Constitutional Council ruling in favor of the exclusion deepened international concerns about democracy and governance in Mozambique. The Charge summarized donor sentiment as one of great sadness because Mozambique had the opportunity to take a historic step towards expanded multi-party democracy with the emergence of a third major political movement, but instead took the route of partial exclusion of opposition candidates and less transparency in the electoral process. The Charge noted the important role of domestic and international observers, including more than 30 from the U.S. Embassy joining the UNDP-led effort, and that their reports would be taken seriously. -------------- FM says "Rule of Law is Paramount" -------------- ¶4. (C) FM Baloi responded that the GRM felt it was important to follow the rule of law, "a requirement we learned from you," he said. He continued that the process needed to be allowed to play itself out, and that donors needed to view the situation from an objective perspective. Baloi then wondered aloud why the donors remained silent when the National Electoral Commission (CNE) disqualified the majority of presidential candidates in August, but expressed public disapproval at the exclusion of legislative candidates in September. He suggested this meant "donors were showing militancy in support of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM)," whose leader Daviz Simango had not been disqualified from the presidential race but had many candidates thrown out of the legislative ones--which was perturbing. Baloi characterized the MDM as a young and confused party without the logistical support system to qualify themselves as a credible third party. Baloi continued by portraying MDM as a party that "runs to the donors" for political protection, and also as one of many "seasonal" opposition parties that appear before every election to benefit from campaign funding, only to disappear later. He passed off MDM's failure to qualify in more legislative races as errors stemming from the natural MAPUTO 00001137 002 OF 002 weaknesses of a new party, and that it was necessary to give young parties time to develop. -------------- -------------- Charge Responds that Local Legal Experts Disagree -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) The Charge said that the donor community did not raise concerns over the August disqualifications from the presidential race because the CNE had explained its decisions in a transparent and legal manner, clearly showing the reasons behind the disqualifications of six of nine presidential candidates (essentially the failure to obtain the required 10,000 signatures required for all presidential candidates). The legislative disqualifications were different, however, because of the lack of transparency in the CNE decision and the numerous procedural errors evidently commited by the CNE. The Charge noted that independent Mozambican lawyers had clearly shown that the CNE failed to follow the election law in disqualifying lists of legislative candidates for opposition parties; nevertheless, the Constitutional Council (CC) sided with the CNE. The Charge articulated donor concerns again, saying that the CNE decision's lack of transparency leads to continued speculation that political pressure played a role, both with the CNE and the CC, and that the CNE did not treat parties equally or fairly. -------------- GRM Does Not Accept Donors' Conclusions -------------- ¶6. (C) Referring to donor calls for a solution to the CNE decision, Baloi criticized the calls for flexibility. Baloi said it was like trying to "repair an airplane already in flight," noting that the GRM had previously been flexible with Renamo in earlier elections, but it had been unsuccessful as an opposition party. Baloi again questioned the favoritism of the donor community on behalf of MDM, asking why donors, who espouse the rule of law, wanted the GRM to find an "extra-judicial" solution to re-qualify excluded opposition candidates in the legislative race. Baloi also challenged the relevance of a third party in Mozambique, suggesting MDM was "unworthy" of competing with the traditional parties, FRELIMO and RENAMO. Baloi also wondered why the donor community holds the GRM responsible for what he sees as the "failings of a weak young party," describing donor criticism of the GRM as "unjust" and "judgmental." Baloi then closed by saying that he was surprised that the donors would jump to conclusions on such weak evidence. -------------- -------------- COMMENT: GRM Is Confident in the Moves It Is Making -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) The Foreign Minister repeated talking points that we have heard consistently, from President Guebuza on down, which is that the GRM is simply following their electoral law. It is also clear that the Guebuza administration feels secure in the extra-judicial moves it is making in the runup to the election, and that GRM officials are confident that the country's international reputation will survive the process intact*despite the USG and other internation donor's best efforts to sensitize the GRM to the damage being done. ¶8. (C) While the discussion was friendly---more like a debate--it seemed clear that Baloi knew he was arguing from a weak position. He is a sophisticated, intelligent player who understands that he now has a major problem with the international community that he did not have previously. Really the GRM's only argument will be to appeal to the rule of law, and perhaps the weakness of institutions such as the CNE, and hope that the international community will concede the point and commit to a strengthening of the relevant democratic institutions to improve the outcome of the next elections. CHAPMAN