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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #1630/01 2071348
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 261348Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7086
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0129
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 0038
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0043
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0451
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0091
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0228
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0140
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0169
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0206
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001630 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN AND EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM GM CA DA SP FI JA NO NL SW
NU 
SUBJECT: CEDULA CRISIS FORCES EDG TO RECONSIDER PUBLIC 
STATEMENT 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 1565 
 
     ¶B. STATE 114848 
     ¶C. MANAGUA 1426 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter Brennan for reasons 1.4 (b and d 
) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The Nicaraguan Elections Donor Group (EDG) 
decided to reconsider releasing a public statement regarding 
the electoral process after leaders of the NGO Movimiento por 
Nicaragua (MpN) gave a presentation on their recent 
investigation revealing that large segments of the population 
are having difficulty applying for and/or obtaining their 
national/voter ID card (cedula).  Canadian and USG 
representatives strongly argued for the release of an EDG 
statement, and the Finnish representative will bring the 
issue back to the European Union chiefs of mission for 
reconsideration.  The EDG agreed to call a meeting between 
EDG chiefs of mission and Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) 
President Roberto Rivas to discuss the cedula problems.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Leaders of the NGO Movimiento por Nicaragua (MpN) 
presented their report on the state of cedula solicitation 
and issuance (ref A) to the EDG on July 25.  Representatives 
from the German, Finnish, Norwegian, Canadian, and U.S. 
embassies were present, as well as officials from the EU 
mission to Nicaragua.  The MpN representatives revealed that 
81 percent of secondary students do not have a cedula in hand 
and stated that many municipalities are obstructing cedula 
application procedures by refusing to issue birth 
certificates (necessary to apply for a cedula) in an 
efficient manner -- at least to applicants not affiliated 
with the mayor's political party. 
 
¶3. (C) In addition, MpN claimed that the CSE has accepted 
only 2,300 of 6,500 cedula applications from MpN's eight 
citizen attention centers and has only issued 80 cedulas so 
far.  When asked by EU DCM Jose Luis Martinez if one 
particular party is benefiting from these manipulative 
tactics, MpN project coordinator Benjamin Lujo stated 
unequivocally that the Sandinista Front (FSLN) is the great 
beneficiary, as the FSLN controls the cedula issuance 
machinery and FSLN supporters have not had difficulty 
obtaining the document.  (Comment: The FSLN's apparent 
advantage in enabling its followers to obtain cedulas and the 
"forced abstention" of non-FSLN supporters could tip the 
outcome of the November election in FSLN presidential 
candidate Daniel Ortega's favor.  End Comment.) 
 
¶4. (C) After the MpN representatives departed, German DCM and 
EDG chair Guenter Sautter asked if the Group would reconsider 
the appropriateness of releasing a public statement (ref C). 
Canadian Ambassador Mario Lague and Emboffs strongly argued 
in favor of issuing a statement.  As an alternative to 
releasing a general statement (as drafted in version 4), 
Sautter and Emboffs proposed creating a declaration 
specifically regarding the cedula issue.  As current holder 
of the EU presidency, the Finnish representative agreed to 
bring the issue back to the EU chiefs of mission for 
reconsideration.  The Norwegian representative said she would 
present the proposals to her charge d'affairs, but that the 
Norwegians have decided to support the EU consensus. 
 
¶5. (C) Martinez commented that issuing a declaration before 
the August 6 cedula application deadline may be too 
precipitous and suggested waiting until after the deadline 
passes to "verify the situation."  Lague and Emboffs 
responded that a declaration after the deadline would be 
meaningless and encouraged a preventive, rather than a 
reactive posture from the EDG.  Sautter then proposed 
arranging a meeting between the EDG ambassadors and CSE 
President Roberto Rivas to discuss cedulation.  The Group 
agreed on this step, but poloff remarked that the obstructive 
measures of the mayors are equally as damaging to the 
cedulation process prior to the August 6 deadline and should 
also be addressed by the Group. 
 
¶6. (C) Comment: Although the European embassy representatives 
did not directly challenge the EU COMs' decision to delay 
issuance of an EDG statement, several were clearly alarmed by 
the MpN presentation and seemed to personally agree with the 
need to speak out.  Sautter mentioned to poloff before the 
meeting (without prompting) that he would again raise the 
issue of the EDG declaration.  The Canadian Ambassador's 
impassioned argument in favor of making a statement seemed to 
convince everyone except Martinez.  At least the Canadians 
seem to understand that the EDG's window of opportunity to 
make a positive difference in the Nicaraguan electoral 
process by speaking out against fraud is rapidly closing. 
BRENNAN