INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION'S CREDIBLITY IN TATTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000013

SIPDIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/11
TAGS: PGOV KPKO KDEM IV PREL
SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION'S CREDIBLITY IN TATTERS

CLASSIFIED BY: Wanda Nesbitt, Ambassador, State, Embassy Abidjan;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)


1. (C) Summary: The credibility of the Independent Electoral
Commission has been severely damaged by the admission of its
president, Robert Mambe, that he authorized an internal
crosschecking of data on potential voters and distributed it to
some, but not all, of the key political parties. President Gbagbo
is furious over this revelation; the FPI has called on Mambe to
resign and is organizing a large public demonstration to denounce
the CEI. PM Soro and presidential advisor Alcide Djedje traveled
to Ouagadougou over the weekend to consult Compaore and identify a
way forward. This scandal will undoubtedly delay publication of
the electoral list, and affect the eventual election date. End
Summary




2. (C) In a January 9 conversation, SRSG Choi expressed deep
concern about the electoral process in Cote d'Ivoire. Choi then
recounted the key points from a meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Soro on January 7: CEI President Mambe admitted that he and another
CEI member conducted an independent, cross-checking
operation,because they concerned that only a small percentage
(@30%) of individuals on the "unverified" list had come forward
with additional proof of citizenship. Mambe acknowledged allowing
the RDR representative to the CEI (the RDR is one of the main
opposition parties) to conduct namechecks using a set of parameters
that neither the INS, Sagem, or the CEI's full commission had
approved. As a result of these checks, 450,000 people were
reportedly verified as being Ivorian, and a CD containing their
names was distributed, with Mambe's approval, to the regional CEI
committees. As most of the regional CEI committees are dominated by
the RDR and PDCI political parties, the clear implication is that
the electoral commission's action was meant to benefit the
opposition, and has disadvantaged president Gbagbo and the FPI.






3. (C) Efforts to contain the damage and prevent this development
from derailing the entire electoral process are underway. PM Soro
has already ordered the recall of all distributed CDs and
instructed CEI members to cease any actions based on names that
were on the CD. He and presidential advisor Alcide Djedje traveled
to Ouagadougou this past weekend to consult Facilitator Blaise
Compaore. A close aide to the Prime Minister told Ambassador on
January 11 that Soro is seeking a larger role in overseeing the
work of the CEI, and also wants a commission established to review
cases handled during contestation period. The commission's key
responsibility would be to reassure the FPI that only confirmed
Ivorians are on the final list.




4. (SBU) The story quickly made headlines, dominating the news on
January 11. The FPI has called on Mambe to resign and youth leader
Charles Ble Goude plans a rally this week to condemn both Mambe and
the CEI. RDR leader Alassane Ouattara has called Mambe a decent and
respectable man; the PDCI has sought to portray the government's
story as incomplete and is promising that the CEI president will
soon explain events himself.




5. (C)Comment: The CEI president's actions have seriously
undermined the credibility of the electoral commission; it may be
impossible for Mambe to regain respect. Further, he has given the
presidential camp - which has resented the CEI since its inception
- ample ammunition for arguing that the electoral commission should
either be disbanded or reconstituted. PM Soro's plan would
safeguard progress made to date in the identification/registration
process but there is no guarantee that he will prevail. Post will
keep Departament apprised of developments.
NESBITT