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