SORO: UN AND OTHERS MUST HELP PUSH ELECTORAL PROCESS FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000041 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/28 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL IV SUBJECT: SORO: UN AND OTHERS MUST HELP PUSH ELECTORAL PROCESS FORWARD CLASSIFIED BY: Wanda Nesbitt, Ambassador, State, Embassy Abidjan; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: PM Soro acknowledged in a January 26 meeting that the electoral process is at a standstill pending resolution of fraud allegations against CEI President Mambe. Soro agreed that the electoral process has progressed too far to be permitted to unravel and said he would look to the UN to decide whether the voter list has been so compromised by Mambe's internal cross-checking operation that a radical change of direction is needed. Embassy is consulting with UNOCI and others about helpful actions the international community can undertake. End Summary ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador and DCM called on PM Soro primarily to discuss a commercial dispute case (Seacor rice shipment) but also sought an update on progress towards establishing a final electoral list. Ambassador shared the Carter Center's recently published statement, noting that we strongly support its key message: the process has not been irrevocably compromised and should go forward, not backwards. Soro agreed but saw little room for progress as long as the FPI continues to insist that Mambe resign and the opposition insists he remain. He noted that he does not believe Mambe committed fraud, has no proof of fraud and therefore has no basis on which to demand the CEI president's resignation. ¶3. (C) The PM told Emboffs that to assuage FPI concerns about fraud, he agreed that they could have 10 days to compile and submit the names of "foreigners" currently on the list of "verified" voters. This would be in addition to standing up representative committees to oversee the addition to the final list of anyone from the "unverified" voters list which contains 1.033 million names. Soro was clearly dismayed by recent steps Interior Minister Desire Tagro has taken, and which have increased suspicion about the motivations of the presidential camp. Soro thought Tagro should not have insisted that the public prosecutor, Raymond Tchimou, conduct a judicial inquiry into the allegations of fraud, noting that both men are high-ranking members of the FPI and that the prosecutor should normally have awaited orders from the Minister of Justice. Whatever this inquiry produces will be suspect. In addition, Soro stated that Tagro instructed the nation's prefects in writing to take over the contestation process, although it is clearly under the CEI's jurisdiction. Soro claimed that Tagro acted without authorization from President Gbagbo, thus the instruction was rescinded, but is a worrisome development and an indication that the FPI is prepared to undermine the entire process to achieve its objectives. ¶4. (C) Asked if the international community should be more vocal, Soro responded that he had already written to SRSG Choi, given the UN's mandate to certify the election, and to Amb. Badini to solicit their help. If the parties remain intransigent, Soro said, the UN and the international community will have to make a judgment about who is at fault and what can be done to push the process forward. Embassy will consult with UNOCI and advise Department if there are actions the USG can take to be helpful. NESBITT