CORRECTED COPY: MEDIA AND POLITICAL PARTY REACTIONS TO

UNCLAS NOUAKCHOTT 000143

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SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY: MEDIA AND POLITICAL PARTY REACTIONS TO
JUNTA LETTER

REF: NOUAKCHOTT 140



1. (U) Foreign Minister Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou's letter to
the AU offering a transition of the Presidency to the President of
elicited a sharp response from coup opponents, while practically all
sides assessed the measure as a last-ditch attempt to avoid EU
sanctions. The following is a sample of the reactions.


2. (U) The President Abdallahi camp has not made a formal statement
but indicated its response would flow with that of the FNDD.
Spokesmen for both the FNDD and the Presidential group strongly
emphasized that the letter simply does not meet the basic test of a
democratic transition, i.e., the removal of the military and the
government it installed before any real movement can take place.


3. (U) Junta response: None of the official state-run media has
reported or commented yet on the letter.


4. (U) RFD response: Ahmed Ould Daddah's party wasted no time
releasing a communique on the same day that knowledge of the letter
became public. The communique highlighted three main points.

i. First, it described the electoral process described in the letter
as "unilateral," arguing that all the main components of the
upcoming elections are under the control of the High State Council.

ii. Second, it described the resignation of Aziz 45 days before the
election as an "unacceptable, cosmetic maneuver."

iii. Third, it stated that the real solution to the crisis is "free
and transparent elections, far removed from prefabricated schemes
that the country has become all too familiar with."


5. (U) FNDD reaction: Although an official communique from the FNDD
has not been released, a web site closely allied to the FNDD posted
an article blasting Mohamedou's letter, calling it a "vaudevillesque
maneuver where the goal is to get Aziz elected through a preordained
parody." The article went on to note "the annoyance and
feverishness that have taken hold of the Putschist camp and their
henchmen since the implementation of targeted sanctions imposed by
the AU Peace and Security Council."


6. (U) According to the anti-coup newspaper "Le Renovateur" the
proposal confirms General Aziz is "cornered" and is attempting to
give his candidacy a veneer of legitimacy to avoid EU sanctions.
The proposal's only new element would be the General's acceptance of
the constitutional clause allowing the President of the Senate to
lead the country during a transition - a possibility originally
rejected by the military because it would put a black Mauritanian in
power. For the newspaper, the plan does not guarantee electoral
transparency, as they would be organized by the Aziz government and
the people he put in power, and would benefit from his own
candidacy. The only way out of the crisis would be to nominate a
transitional government, dissolve the national assembly, organize
early elections and isolate the military from politics.


7. (U) For the "Nouakchott Info" newspaper, the plan is also a
"measure of last resort" to avoid EU sanctions. The newspaper
highlights RFD president Ould Daddah's dismissal of the plan as
"unilateral," a position echoed by the EU. The newspaper also notes
the plan's release following Libyan mediation efforts, which
according to this source will take the main political actors to
Tripoli to negotiate under Qadhafi's auspices.


8. (U) The anti-coup "L'Authentique Quotidien" newspaper led with
the headline "The concessions of General Ould Abdel Aziz." Stating
that Aziz only offered his proposal "three days before the fateful
meeting in Paris February 20," the author argued that "the European
Union is awaiting responses [of the FNDD and RFD], which will
determine the attitude of the international community with respect
to the crisis... What is certain is that the High State Council

partisans are not very optimistic about the EU meeting in Paris,
especially with a Czech EU presidency judged to be too close to the
American position with respect to the coup d'etat and return of Sidi
Ould Cheikh Abdallahi to power."
suspicion. Many view it as a stratagem to consolidate power and
legitimize the June 6 elections, whereas others think it is a
desperate measure to avoid EU sanctions. This is a clever move to
co-opt the Europeans and isolate the USG. More than one
interlocutor has emphasized that this could be the ultimate proof
the General is cornered and willing to negotiate. In either case,
the plan is perceived as a unilateral solution that would allow Aziz
to use the political machine he has created to legitimize his
candidacy and his election. For many, including the FNDD, the
political crisis will not end until the military withdraws.
European acceptance of Aziz's solution would have devastating
consequences as it would consolidate the military's hold, isolate
the US, and delegitimize the African Union. End comment.

WALSH