CAR: PRESIDENT CUTS FUNDING FOR THE ELECTIONS AND ASKS THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000042 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C USUN FOR DMUERS PARIS FOR RKANEDA LONDON FOR PLORD NAIROBI FOR AKARAS AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL INR FOR JPEKKINEN DRL FOR SCRAMPTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR CT SUBJECT: CAR: PRESIDENT CUTS FUNDING FOR THE ELECTIONS AND ASKS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO FILL THE GAP REF: BANGUI 0041 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Though the Central African Republic Government (CARG) promised USD 7.9 million for the upcoming national elections, President Bozize announced on February 2 that the CARG would only make USD 4.3 million available. President Bozize then urged the United Nations Peace Building Fund (UNPBF) and other bilateral donors to bridge the final gap, but so far, the complete amount remains unfulfilled. The lack of funding, time, and technical expertise have increased doubts about the feasibility of the projected April 18th election date. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) estimates that the elections will require an estimated USD 16.5 million, of which only USD 12.6 million has been mobilized. The current contributions to the two electoral budgets are: -- CARG Budget: -- CARG 2009 Budget -- USD 980,029 -- CARG 2010 Budget -- USD 3.4 million -- France -- USD 285,714 -- UNDP Basket Fund: -- UNDP -- USD 760,000 -- European Commission (EC) -- USD 5.7 million (not available until late February at the earliest) -- UNPBF -- USD 1.5 million (This amount remains controversial. it is part of a larger security fund and negotiations still remain regarding its use for election security.) (NOTE: The 2005 CAR election budget was USD 9.5million. END NOTE). ¶3. (SBU) Despite a constitutional mandate to hold elections every five years, the CARG did not appropriate money for elections until late September 2009 when it set aside USD 2.2 million in a budget addendum. That amount was recently cut by the President to just less than USD 1 million. Furthermore, although the 2010 budget includes an additional USD 5.4 million for the elections, the President reduced this amount to USD 3.4 million. Therefore, the total CARG contribution to the elections is now just USD 4.3 million, down from the promised USD 7.9 million. It is not clear why President Bozize made the cuts, nor whether the international community will fill the funding gap. ¶4. (U) The election funds are separated into two separate budgets - the CARG budget and a UNDP basket fund. To manage the basket fund, the UNDP created a Steering Committee composed of representatives from UNDP, the UN Integrated Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA),the Independent Electoral Commission (the President plus 5 designated representatives), the Minister of Interior, and representatives from the country's international technical and financial partners. ¶5. (SBU) The delivery of the main contribution to the basket fund - USD 5.7 million from the EC - continues to face technical delays, reducing the Steering committee's influence over the process. The EC earmarked these funds two years ago, and hopes to obligate the money by late February. So far, the CAR Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) only has access to UNDP's initial USD 365,000 contribution to the basket fund. Without the promised EC contribution, the Steering Committee continues to sit idle, meeting only once within the last month. BANGUI 00000042 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) The IEC continues to request technical assistance from the UNDP, but because the basket fund sits empty, the Program only hired one of its seven proposed technical experts to work with the IEC. UNDP officials lament that this limits their ability to influence the process as well. With the elections only two months away, and considering delays in hiring international personnel, it is unlikely that most of the proposed technical experts will arrive before the scheduled election date. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: The CARG decision to cut its contributions for the elections is troubling, and symptomatic of a lack of concern to implement fully transparent and inclusive elections. The delayed EC contribution to the basket fund negatively impacts the international community's influence over the CAR electoral process and leaves the IEC in desperate need of technical assistance. Given the ongoing technical and political delays impeding the electoral process (Ref A),post is not optimistic that elections will take place on schedule. END COMMENT. COOK