CENTRAL ELECTORAL BOARD PRESIDENT LOOKS FORWARD TO

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001216 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CVIS PREL DR SUBJECT: CENTRAL ELECTORAL BOARD PRESIDENT LOOKS FORWARD TO CONGRESSIONAL/MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, FAVORS CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AFFECTING HIS AGENCY Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Central Electoral Board (JCE) President Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman, in a 10/9 meeting with Charge, said that he expects the May 2010 congressional/municipal elections to be "passionate," but within the JCE's capabilities to handle smoothly. He also stated that digitization of Civil Registry records is moving forward at a steady pace. Castanos and fellow JCE Magistrate John Giuliani said they support the proposed constitutional reforms that would split the JCE into separate institutions, one dealing with elections and civil registry issues and the other acting as an electoral court. Castanos made a pitch for shifting some USAID funding from Participacion Ciudadana, which manages electoral observation missions, to the JCE's training school. Giuliani, in turn, asked for technical assistance on absentee balloting/early voting to advise the JCE on incorporating similar practices. Charge took note of the JCE officials' requests and said we would consider them. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Charge, accompanied by A/DCM, PolEcon Counselor and USAID Democracy Officer, paid a courtesy call on JCE President Castanos on 10/9. Castanos was accompanied by Magistrate Giuliani, who serves on the JCE's Chamber for Dispute Resolution (which deals with electoral disputes and legal issues; the Administrative Chamber deals with Civil Registry matters and organization of elections),and JCE Chief of Protocol Ambassador Alejandro Vicini. -------------- CONGRESSIONAL/MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) With the congressional/municipal elections only seven months away, the JCE has its work cut out for it, Castanos stated, but is up to the task of overseeing free and fair elections. With the constitutional reforms expected to increase the terms of senators and deputies from four to six years for the 2010 elections -- from 2016 onwards they will revert to four year terms so that congressional and presidential terms run concurrently --, he cautioned that the usual "passionate" Dominican election campaigns will become "even hotter." He has two main concerns. First is the possible misuse of government resources, which he �00A;acknowledged was a problem in the 2008 presidential election. However, he thought this would occur less in congressional/municipal races than in a presidential campaign. Second, Castanos is worried that tight races in small provincial districts will be potential powder kegs, as charges of misbehavior and fraud will be more likely where the contestants are separated by only a few votes in situations where oversight is weak. Nonetheless, he declared, this was nothing the JCE has not had to deal with before and which it can handle again. ¶4. (SBU) In addition, Castanos was confident that the JCE will be able to announce the congressional and mayoral results the evening of election day. He thought it would help if the voting period, which starts at 6:00 a.m., could terminate at 5:00 p.m. rather than 6:00 p.m. Giuliani explained that the Actas (vote tally sheets) from all 12,000 voting locations will be scanned and e-mailed to the JCE election authorities and to all political parties, which will facilitate this process. -------------- CIVIL REGISTRY MODERNIZATION -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The JCE is committed to modernizing the Civil Registry, Castanos stated, and has already entered over 20 million fingerprints into the system and digitized approximately 80 percent of civil records. This latter task has been complicated by the poor state of many of the original hand-written record books, which decay or even dissolve due to the tropical climate, poor storage and rough handling. He recounted that his own records were in a book that "dissolved into dust;" luckily, Castanos added, duplicate copies of many of these books exist, which enabled people like himself to be incorporated into the new Registry. ¶6. (SBU) Another complication, Giuliani said, was due to problems with the JCE's USD 25 million information technology contract with the SOMO consortium. SOMO, he explained, was not providing adequate software to meet its commitment to respond rapidly with complete registry records in response to the submission of a subject's fingerprints. Consequently, he said, the JCE is withholding payment until SOMO performs. -------------- CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Charge inquired as to the JCE officials' views on the ongoing constitutional reform process, which appears heading towards splitting the organization, in accordance with its current division, into two separate institutions. Both Castanos and Giuliani expressed support for the reforms, saying that five of the other seven JCE magistrates agreed with them. Giuliani, referring to a recent Chamber of Accounts audit that criticized the JCE's Administrative Chamber's handling of resources and purchases, complained that while the Administrative Chamber handles all of its own budgetary and spending matters, the entire JCE Plenum is tasked with responding to allegations of impropriety. -------------- ASSISTANCE REQUESTS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Castanos was highly appreciative of USG assistance to the JCE, observing that this aid contributed to developing his institution's capability to manage free and fair elections. He suggested, given that such elections are the rule in the Dominican Republic, that some USAID funding could now be transferred from the civil society NGO Participacion Ciudadana (Citizens' Participation) to the JCE's National School of Electoral Formation and Civil Status (EFEC). Whereas in the past USAID helped Participacion Ciudadana deploy 4000 electoral observers, he argued, it could now safely reduce this to 2000 observers, thereby freeing up resources for better use. (NOTE: USAID does not have any funding set aside for election-related programs; its current funding for Participacion Ciudadana deals with transparency and justice reform oversight. END NOTE.) ¶9. (SBU) Giuliani expressed strong interest in having a U.S. expert, who has had experience dealing with Latin American electoral systems, provide technical assistance to the JCE on absentee balloting/voting by mail/early voting systems to help the JCE develop and incorporate such systems for the Dominican Republic. Castanos agreed that this would be particularly useful in dealing with ballots cast overseas, particularly if the ongoing constitutional reform process results in a provision creating a congressional seat representing overseas voters. (NOTE: Currently Dominicans overseas cast ballots in presidential elections, but not in congressional ones. END NOTE). ¶10. (SBU) Charge responded by congratulating the JCE on its achievements, expressing our satisfaction with having had the opportunity to assist the institution in consolidating democracy, and stating that we would consider their requests. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The JCE is a strong institution with an excellent track record of ensuring free and fair voting and counting of ballots in recent elections. It has advanced to such an extent, in fact, that USAID has discontinued funding election-related programs following the 2008 elections. We share Castanos' confidence that the JCE is capable of carrying out successful congressional/municipal elections next year, and we share his concern that ruling coalition candidates will take advantage of their government positions and/or government resources to further their chances. We will look into supplying a U.S. expert to provide technical assistance on absentee balloting/voting by mail/advanced voting, and will review Castanos' request for funding for the EFEC school. END COMMENT. LAMBERT