Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09YAOUNDE792
2009-09-18 13:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yaounde
Cable title:  

CAMEROON'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION FLOUNDERING

Tags:  CM PGOV PHUM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9117
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #0792/01 2611341
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181341Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0270
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000792 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019
TAGS: CM PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION FLOUNDERING

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e)
.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000792

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019
TAGS: CM PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION FLOUNDERING

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e)
.


1. (C) Summary: In post's first-ever meeting with an
official from Cameroon's Electoral Commission (Elections
Cameroon, or ELECAM),Director General Mohaman Sani Tanimou
told Pol/Econ Chief he is in the process of hiring staff and
believes he has adequate legal authority. However, he lacks
the budget, electoral equipment and voter register needed to
prepare for scheduled 2011 presidential elections. He
conceded that the composition of ELECAM's leadership still
undermines its credibility. A visiting UN elections team
reinforced strong views voiced by resident Ambassadors that
ELECAM remains crippled. The UN team proposed a set of
benchmarks under which, by July 2010, ELECAM will have to
demonstrate improved operational effectiveness and have a
cohesive legal framework and credible voter register or face
a cut-off of UN support. End summary.

Setting Up
--------------


2. (U) Since President Biya named the Council members of
the Electoral Commission (ELECAM) in December 2008, Tanimou
has focused on creating the organization's administrative
structure. ELECAM has adopted internal documents and SOPs,
established its internal organizational chart, and decided on
how to staff its offices. In July, Tanimou began recruiting
candidates for thousands of jobs at the 10 regional offices,
58 departments, and 360 communities; he has completed
recruiting for the regions and half the departments. While
all twelve members of the ELECAM Council are soliciting
candidates for positions, Tanimou said he will make the final
staffing decisions, hopefully by the end of October.


3. (SBU) ELECAM has all the legal authority it needs to
operate, Tanimou claimed, although he saw the need to "touch
up" three earlier laws covering presidential, National
Assembly and municipal council elections, replacing
references to the Observatoire National des Elections (ONEL)
with ELECAM. (Note: The predecessor to ELECAM, ONEL was run
out of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and
Decentralization, MINATD. End note.) Tanimou noted that
MINATD had been seeking a new electoral code to harmonize the
various electoral laws, but he saw no need for one and the

presidency had refused it. (MINATD Minister Marafa Hamidou
Yaya subsequently told Ambassador that the presidency is
still reviewing his draft electoral code.)

A Good Plan...
--------------


4. (SBU) Tanimou's ideal would be to start voter
registration and election preparations in October or
November. He would like to spend much, if not all, of 2010
cleaning up the voter register (or starting from scratch if
the register is seen to be seriously flawed). He also
anticipates needing to train staff and to distribute voter ID
cards to many voters. He largely dismissed public
speculation that the election might be brought forward to
2010, saying this would not be allowed under current law and
insisting that ELECAM would not be ready to run a national
election until at least the end of 2010.


5. (U) Tanimou's stated goal is to run elections whose
results are "uncontestable." This would require registering
any qualified voter and issuing them all the required
electoral cards, ensuring that all polling stations have full
representation by the contesting political parties, and
providing for transparent counting of votes at each
individual voting booth. "We want an election we can be
proud of," he asserted, noting his plans to consult with all
political parties and civil society in the pre-election
period and to include them in election observing on polling
day.

But No Money, Equipment or Register
--------------


6. (C) None of these preparations can get far without
overcoming two major operational obstacles. Tanimou stated
that of the 7 billion FCFA ($15.2 million) he has requested
for ELECAM's budget, the Ministry of Finance has only given
him 2 billion FCFA ($4.3 million),of which 500 million FCFA
has already been spent. This leaves him with insufficient
funds to pay for salaries, rent (all ELECAM buildings are
rented),equipment, insurance, vehicles and other expenses,
he said. Furthermore, he confirmed that the MINATD has yet
to transfer election equipment and the voting register,
whether on computer discs or paper copies. MINATD had

YAOUNDE 00000792 002 OF 003


offered no explanation but Tanimou opined that it did not
want to let go of the cash and patronage generated by
elections; "elections are big money," Tanimou added, with
billions of relatively untracked FCFA floating to election
and local government officials. Tanimou confirmed press
stories of tensions between him and ELECAM President Samuel
Fonkam Azu'u over who controls ELECAM resources (Tanimou
claims he has the sole authority to hire staff and spend
funds). Minister Marafa previously told Ambassador that he
was waiting for the presidency to authorize his ministry to
release the voter register and election equipment; when
Ambassador subsequently raised this with Secretary General of
the Presidency Laurent Esso, Esso said no such authorization
was pending or needed by the President.

And A Big Credibility Gap
--------------


7. (SBU) Tanimou conceded that the 12-member ELECAM Council
still has fundamental credibility problems. He wished
President Biya had selected a more politically balanced,
representative group. Controversies surrounding the
President of ELECAM, who has been implicated in a visa scam,
also diminished ELECAM's credibility, he said. Some have
suggested to Biya that he change the Council members (this
could be done by reassigning them elsewhere or expanding the
Council),but Tanimou said he didn't know if the President
would do so. Tanimou said he would focus on making ELECAM
operate in a transparent, credible manner and he hoped for
international community support.

International Community Very Skeptical
--------------


8. (SBU) Over the past week, a UN Electoral Assistance
Division team has been in Cameroon consulting a wide range of
stakeholders about the electoral process. In a September 15
meeting with a group of Western Chiefs of Mission, the team
leader highlighted disagreements among Cameroonian
interlocutors about the applicable laws, the government's
lack of consultation with political parties and civil
society, and a widespread view that the voter register is
seriously flawed. They expressed concern that MINATD has
failed to transfer its election material to ELECAM.
Ambassadors from Italy, Spain and the European Union, backed
by the French and Canadian Charges, voiced concerns about
ELECAM's lack of progress and strong doubts about its
abilities and credibility. The Italian Ambassador, the
longest serving of the group, said he "can't imagine ELECAM
will be ready for an election."


9. (SBU) The visiting UN team leader offered up a "Plan B"
as a middle ground between disengagement with ELECAM and full
support. "Plan B" would provide UN technical assistance to
help ELECAM become more operational and to improve electoral
laws and internal ELECAM texts. It would set out benchmarks
for operational effectiveness, an internationally acceptable
legal framework, and a credible voter register. If the
benchmarks are not met by July, 2010 the UNDP would withdraw
from any support to ELECAM. The Chiefs of Mission endorsed
the "Plan B" idea as long as benchmarks are made public and
the government and ELECAM are clear that they and not the
international community are responsible for making ELECAM
work.

Comment
--------------


10. (C) Tanimou has significant electoral experience (he
was previously Technical Advisor at the Presidency, with a
focus on electoral issues),his approach makes sense, he was
eager to engage the Embassy, and he seems to want to make
ELECAM work in a credible manner. However, over eight months
after ELECAM was created, he has been slow to get it off the
ground and unable to get the political support he needs. The
strong views of the Chiefs of Mission reflect increasing
worries among many Cameroonian observers that ELECAM is stuck
and cannot be put back on track unless the international
community engages Biya directly. If Biya can ensure ELECAM
gets more fully funded, receives electoral equipment and the
voter register from MINATD and has more nonpartisan
leadership, ELECAM may yet be able to run reasonably good
elections in 2011. Pol/Econ Chief pointed out to Tanimou
another big "if" - the hiring and start-up process he
controls has to be transparent, apolitical and clean or
ELECAM's credibility could sink beyond redemption. Tanimou
gave assurances that he would be as neutral and transparent
as possible, although he thought it would be "impossible" to
hire thousands of qualified people who had no political
affiliation. Although the UN resists the idea of

YAOUNDE 00000792 003 OF 003


conditionality and its benchmarks are vague, "Plan B" offers
a possible way out for ELECAM and the international
community. As one Ambassador commented "there really is no
Plan A" and "Plan C" - outright rejection and disengagement
from ELECAM - would deal a mortal blow to the credibility of
the electoral process.


11. (C) Post will be developing an action plan for next
steps on ELECAM. If a proposed meeting between Assistant
Secretary for African Affairs Carson and President Biya
happens in the coming weeks, we believe it would be an
excellent opportunity to press for more progress in creating
a credible, workable ELECAM.
GARVEY