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OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0308/01 0911321
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O 011321Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9404
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000308 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM CG
SUBJECT:  PREPARATIONS FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS MOVE FORWARD TENTATIVELY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The DRC's Independent Election Commission (CEI) 
has announced that the GDRC will commit $31.3 million for the 2009 
elections, an important step in leveraging crucial support from 
donors.  Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito underscored the GDRC's 
commitment in a March 24 letter to UNSG Ban Ki-Moon.  The CEI 
presented a calendar for updating voter registration, which should 
run from June through September.  Significant technical challenges 
remain, including registration of candidates in 6,037 
constituencies.  Even in the best of circumstances, local elections 
will be held in late 2009 or early 2010, presenting financial, 
administrative, and political issues so close to the 2011 national 
elections.  Despite the challenges and uncertainty ahead, the 
international community should support the DRC's nascent democratic 
development to cement recent progress on regional stabilization. 
End Summary. 
 
Malu Malu to the Rescue 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) At a "make-or-break" meeting with the international 
community on March 23, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral 
Commission (CEI), Father Apollinaire Malu Malu, announced that the 
GDRC would commit $31.3 million for local elections, leaving the 
international community to fund the remaining $131.7 million (Note: 
MONUC and the GDRC recently revised downward the expected total cost 
to $163 million.  This figure does not include an expected $80 
million in logistical support from MONUC.  End Note).  Approximately 
$10 million of the GDRC contribution would be disbursed in the next 
few weeks, including $6.9 million in salary arrears.  Prime Minister 
Adolphe Muzito underlined the GDRC commitment (and also gave SRSG 
Alan Doss some ammunition for a New York discussion of MONUC 
budgetary support for the elections) in a March 24 letter to UNSG 
Ban Ki-Moon. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Equally important, Malu Malu announced that the updating 
of voter registration rolls would commence in June and last through 
September.  On March 28, the CEI publicly released its schedule for 
updating voting lists: the process will officially start June 7 in 
the province of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo, then in the rest of the 
provinces on August 2.  Malu Malu also said that all relevant 
legislation, including the Law on De-concentrated Entities, would be 
"ready in April."  Malu Malu asked for donor support to refurbish 
existing and to build non-existing CEI infrastructure; he claimed 
the CEI did not have a permanent presence in five provinces: 
Katanga, Equateur, Kasai Occidental, Maniema, and Orientale. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Donors generally reacted positively to the GDRC 
commitment, adding that this was a prerequisite to try to persuade 
capitals to provide financial assistance for the elections.  The 
Swiss Ambassador noted that the DRC did not need "a Rolls Royce 
election," rather "a VW version" would suffice.  He also admonished 
the GDRC not to perceive the elections as some kind of favor for the 
international community; this is for the DRC's own democratic 
development.  EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel, during a 
March 30 press conference in Kinshasa, said the EU was ready to 
provide Euro 16 million in support for the elections (Note:  USAID 
has a planned budget of $5.4 million to support the local elections, 
focusing on civic education and rapid response, i.e., helping to 
fill the gap for unexpected or greater than expected expenditures. 
End Note). 
 
Technical and Operational Challenges 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In a separate briefing for the diplomatic community, 
Carlos Valenzuela, Head of MONUC's Elections Division, outlined 
challenges - some technical, some political - that the GDRC, MONUC, 
and the international community still faced in preparing for local 
elections. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Although the GDRC had put forward a plan to update the 
electoral lists, Valenzuela stressed that this would be a major 
undertaking.  Also, after updating the voter rolls, the GDRC would 
have to begin the process of candidate registration in all 6,037 
constituencies.  Finally, polling and tabulation centers will have 
to be identified and made ready.  Valenzuela estimated that there 
could be over 200,000 candidates, 53,000 polling stations, and 91 
tabulation centers. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Valenzuela pointed out that, there are direct elections 
for only two (District Council and Municipal Council) levels at 
which local elections are held.  The others are indirectly elected, 
chosen by the District and Municipal Councilors.  There is, 
according to Valenzuela, usually a 3-4 month gap between the direct 
election at the District and Municipal Council levels, and the 
indirect elections at the other levels.  With local elections 
 
KINSHASA 00000308  002 OF 002 
 
 
occurring late 2009 or even early 2010, this will push the final leg 
of the local elections process towards the beginning stages of 
preparations for the 2011 national election, Valenzuela noted. 
 
Additional Hurdles 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Valenzuela listed the following issues as additional 
hurdles to overcome: diminishing operational capacity of the 
Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), including non-payment of CEI 
salaries; financial constraints from MONUC, the GDRC, and the 
international community; instability in many areas of Eastern DRC; 
and, of course, the question of whether there exists sufficient 
political will to hold local elections. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Time constraints could ultimately result in MONUC greatly 
reducing or even eliminating its budgetary support for local 
elections.  MONUC, based on UNSCRs 1843 and 1856, was now even more 
focused on stabilizing the East, rather than providing country-wide 
electoral support.  The more the local elections slip towards the 
2011 national elections, which MONUC will not support financially, 
the less forthcoming MONUC financial support will be, predicted 
Valenzuela.  Most importantly, SRSG Alan Doss must defend MONUC's 
local election budget in front of the UN's Advisory Committee on 
Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) April 2-3.  The 
GDRC's public commitment, plus the PM's letter to the UNSG, should 
greatly facilitate Doss' task. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Comment:  The jury is still out as to whether or not the 
GDRC will hold local elections in 2009 or early 2010.  The events of 
the past week - the resolution of the Kabila-Kamerhe feud through a 
democratic procedure - have been relatively positive.  Clearly, 
there are influential voices in the GDRC, first and foremost Malu 
Malu, who appear to advocate sticking to the electoral calendar. 
Nevertheless, persistent and considerable support from the 
international community will be imperative.  It is important to 
"normalize" democratic practices in the DRC.  In addition, 
supporting the process will help build capacity for the 2011 
national elections.  End Comment. 
 
GARVELINK