ELECTION OBSERVERS FAULT PROCESS, PRAISE VOTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001205 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019 TAGS: KDEM MZ PGOV PREL SUBJECT: ELECTION OBSERVERS FAULT PROCESS, PRAISE VOTERS Classified By: ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JEREMY NEITZKE FOR REASON S 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Interim election assessments released on October 30 by international and domestic election observer missions in Mozambique focused their criticisms on the lack of transparency of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), but largely assessed that voting on election day had been carried out in a well-managed and calm way. While only a few observer missions*the African Union and the Southern African Development Community's Parliamentary Forum*went so far as to label the elections "free and fair," the more critical statements from other observation missions failed to meet the expectations of many in the diplomatic community, who were looking for a stronger message to the ruling party. The EU Ambassadors expressed particularly disappointment with their own EU observation mission, believing that it was pressured by European Parliamentaians from Spain and Portugal to tone down any criticism. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- ELECTION OBSERVERS RELEASE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On October 30 domestic and international observer missions including the Commonwealth, the European Union (EU), the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA),the Southern African Development Community, and the African Union released preliminary assessments of Mozambique's October 28 general elections. Most observer groups released preliminary assessments during press conferences attended by local media and the diplomatic community, with full reports not expected until January 2010. -------------- LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, VOTER CHOICE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The focus of the observer missions' criticisms was the lack of transparency in the National Electoral Commission's (CNE) decision to exclude parties from the parliamentary elections. The Commonwealth, EISA, and the EU all called for a more "level playing field" in Mozambican politics in order to increase confidence and encourage fully inclusive multi-party democracy in Mozambique. The EU further stated that the absence of transparency resulted in constrained voter choice at the local level. The statements, however, also praised Mozambican voters and the conduct of election day itself, highlighting that voting was largely well-managed and calm. The reports noted that the election allowed freedom of association, expression, assembly, and movement, as well as universal suffrage. ¶4. (SBU) Only two interim statements concluded the election was largely "free and fair"- SADC's Parliamentary Forum and the EU Parliamentary Observers. These two missions were present for just the day of the election -- other missions noted that SADC-PF members did not even stay at the polling stations through the counting process, suggesting their conclusions were less valid. -------------- EISA CRITICISM -------------- ¶4. (SBU) EISA's interim release appears the most critical of the process. In addition to echoing the call for greater transparency by the CNE, the assessment discusses how in many districts FRELIMO ran unopposed for the provincial assemblies, stating "this development undermines political competition and concentrates political power in one or at least two main players with dire consequences for the deepening multi-party democracy in Mozambique." It also notes that long queues reported at the polling stations were due less to increased turnout than to a "slow voting process;" at the polling stations where EISA was present, voter turnout was low to average. ¶5. (SBU) The Charge spoke with Miguel de Brito, Mozambique country director for EISA, who expressed his disappointment in the tone of the EISA observer report's final paragraph. He stated he would have preferred a conclusion that Mozambique had met only a few benchmarks for democracy, and that significant concerns remained. His sentiments about the tone of the EISA report were reflected MAPUTO 00001205 002 OF 002 in the opinions of many European diplomats, who felt the EU Observer Mission's statement was also not critical enough. -------------- COMMENT: OBSERVERS OVERALL TOO TIMID -------------- ¶6. (C) In the view of many diplomatic observers, most of the preliminary reports released failed to criticize adequately the electoral environment FRELIMO carefully crafted (REF) prior to election day. In the observation missions' defense, however, most were not present in country to observe the run-up to election day and thus did not believe they could comment. The EU Ambassadors expressed particularly disappointment with their own EU observation mission, believing that it was pressured by European Parliamentarians from Spain and Portugal to tone down any criticism. FRELIMO leadership may be emboldened by the softer international observer response, further undercutting the concerns expressed by the local diplomatic community. CHAPMAN