CANADA DELIVERS AIDE-MEMOIRE ON 2009 TUNISIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000525

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG (HAYES); DRL (JOHNSTONE/KLARMAN)
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM TS
SUBJECT: CANADA DELIVERS AIDE-MEMOIRE ON 2009 TUNISIAN
ELECTIONS

Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) In a conversation with the DCM July 24, Canadian
Ambassador Bruno Picard said that the Government of Canada
(GOC) presented Tunisian Ambassador to Canada Mouldi Sakri
July 23 with an Aide-Memoire detailing GOC concerns about
"acts of violence, intimidation, harassment of people
identified as members of opposition parties, NGO's, and those
who express ideas critical to the government." The GOC
highlighted the importance of freedom of expression and
association and urged the GOT to guarantee these freedoms in
the crucial run-up to prospective presidential elections in
October 2009. Picard also said that he had asked Ottawa to
present the Aide-Memoire there in order to minimize potential
GOT actions against the Canadian Embassy in Tunisia. The
text of the Aide-Memoire has been scanned and sent to NEA/MAG
and DRL.


2. (C) The Aide-Memoire states the GOC's concern regarding
the increasing number of reports of harassment of political
party members and civil society organizations and presses the
GOT to take measures to ensure the complete liberty of
expression and association necessary in the run-up to the
Presidential elections. It argues that:

-- Promoting democratic governance is a high GOC foreign
policy priority and that democracy plays a key role in
promoting regime stability, prosperity, the protection of
human rights and poverty reduction.

-- The GOC and GOT have signatory obligations under the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

-- Inclusion of democratic principles in the GOT constitution
further supports the need and obligation to respect human
rights.

-- Increasing reports of acts of violence, intimidation,
harassment of identified GOT critics, NGOs in the run-up to
elections deter from an open and free pre-election climate,
an essential element for transparent and fair elections in
October 2009.

-- The strong bilateral relationship the GOC and the GOT have
shared over the past fifty years is based on a common
interest in development and progress to ensure a better
quality of life for their citizens.


3. (C) Comment: It appears that the Aide-Memoire was derived
from points the Ambassador shared with a small group of
Ambassadors (UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada),after
their agreement in principle to follow common themes in
pressing the GOT for 2009 elections-related deliverables.
Sending a message direct from capitals makes it more
difficult for the GOT to brush it aside. Washington may want
to consider delivering a similar message to the Tunisian
Embassy.

Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm
Godec