IS ALBANIA'S ID CARD SYSTEM ON TRACK?

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000159 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR EUR/SCE J.ISMAIL E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PREL AL SUBJECT: IS ALBANIA'S ID CARD SYSTEM ON TRACK? REF: 08 TIRANA 867 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) With just over one hundred days to go until the June 28 parliamentary elections, attention is focused on the issuance of new Qards. Changes in the electoral code require voters to possess either a new ID card or a valid passport in order to vote. As of now, some 750,000 voters have no valid passport or ID, meaning they risk disenfranchisement if they do not get an ID or passport prior to June 28. Although even the GOA admits that the ID issuance process is behind schedule, it insists that any Albanian voter who WANTS a new biometric ID card in time for the June 28 parliamentary elections should not face any technical or administrative obstacles. The opposition, however, describes the ID process as a disaster, claiming loudly that large numbers of voters risk disenfranchisement. The truth, of course, likely lies somewhere in between. It seems at this point that the GOA should be able to issue up to one million IDs prior to the elections, but some considerable hurdles remain. In the event any voters are denied the right to vote because they lack IDs, the losing side will likely cry fraud. End Summary. Better late than never? -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Almost immediately upon coming to power in 2005, Prime Minister Berisha pledged to issue new, biometric IDs to all Albanian citizens. Only in mid-2008 did the GOA finally grant French company Sagem and their partner the Albanian American Enterprise Fund (AAEF) a contract to produce biometric cards under a concession agreement (reftel). (NOTE: The AAEF has a 25 percent investment stake in the concession and has no formal management role. Sagem is in charge of printing and issuing the IDs. END NOTE). ¶3. (SBU) When Sagem finally began producing ID cards in mid-January, both opposition politicians and the international community expressed concerns that not enough ID cards would be produced in time for the June parliamentary elections. However, the government, Sagem and AAEF insist that all voters without passports will be able to get ID cards in time for the elections. Yet even this is a significant scaling back of the GOA's earlier goal of issuing some three million IDs by June 28. The GOA and Sagem say project is on track -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Deputy Minister of Interior Poni recently told econoff that the project is completely on track and that he is confident all citizens who want ID cards by the elections will have them. He did express frustration, however, that citizens, particularly in more remote areas, have been slow to apply for their ID cards. He said that in more urban areas such as Tirana, registration is proceeding normally and in fact is ahead of schedule, with all planned centers open and operating. Both the GOA and Sagem point repeatedly to Sagem's printing capacity of 15,000 IDs per day as proof that no one will be without an ID on election day. But Sagem cannot print the ID cards unless Albanians register for the cards first, and until now considerably fewer than 15,000 Albanians per day have registered to receive cards. Rural areas less confident -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Outside of Tirana there is less enthusiasm about the new system. Mayor of Berat Fadil Nasufi, a member of the opposition SP party, was quick to blame the government for not managing Sagem properly. Nasufi said that Sagem has still not signed a contract for use of the municipality's space and has failed to provide a fast enough internet connection. He also complained that the Central Registry (CR) provides no quality control over data CDs they send to the ID centers, resulting in further delays and inaccurate and out-of-date information. ¶6. (SBU) Berat Prefect (a GOA official) Thoma Rumnici said registration was going well, but blamed Sagem for not processing applications fast enough. Nevertheless, it appeared to a visiting Embassy team that, at least in Berat, Sagem is on track to issue IDs to all who need them - provided those voters go in and apply for IDs in the first place. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) While there is a lot of pre-election finger pointing and predictions of doom and gloom, at this point Post believes that all Albanians who want an ID card should be able to get one before the elections - assuming they don't all wait until the second week in June to apply. Nevertheless, numerous hurdles remain - the rollout TIRANA 00000159 002 OF 002 of registration centers in rural areas remains far behind schedule, and the ten euro application fee is expensive for many poor Albanians. Many Albanians are suspicious of the new IDs, with some reportedly refusing to provide fingerprints for the biometric IDs. Finally, Post has seen some evidence that indicates that the GOA is manipulating the issuance of IDs in an effort to make sure pro-ruling party voters get their IDs first. However, as we get closer to voting day, opposition parties are also likely to find creative ways to get IDs into the hands of their supporters. In the end, all sides have an interest in the success of the process. First, for purely selfish reasons they need to be sure their own supporters can vote. Second, the failure to hold successful elections, although it will be laid at the feet of the governing coalition, will set back the aspirations of all Albanians for EU membership. WITHERS