This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 000406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA-FRIEDMAN, WHA/PPC, DRL/PHD, WHA/OAS 
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON 
LABOR FOR ILAB 
TREASURY FOR OASIA-LAMONICA 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION 
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DR PGOV EAID
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #16: OAS OBSERVER MISSION IN 
THE WORKS 
 
REF: A. (A) SANTO DOMINGO 355 
     ¶B. (B) SANTO DOMINGO 356 
 
¶1. (SBU) Following is number 16 in our Dominican presidential 
election series: 
 
      OAS PROPOSES ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION 
 
OAS Special Adviser Santiago Murray, from the Secretariat 
General's Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, on January 15 
called on the Central Election Board (JCE) and this Embassy 
(poloff and USAID staff) to discuss possible arrangements for 
an OAS observer mission during the upcoming presidential 
campaign and election.  Murray proposed a technical mission 
of some 25 specialists in election management, legal aspects, 
and technology including information technology.  Training 
for judges of the municipal election boards would be on the 
agenda.  At least part of the mission would be on the ground 
during most of the campaign (which is expected to begin 
officially o/a January 20; election day will be May 16) and 
would remain afterward during the vote count and any 
challenges.  Murray's minimum cost estimate was 200,000 U.S. 
dollars for a mission that would need to draw on locally 
available resources to achieve adequate coverage. 
 
In our conversation with Murray, we strongly supported the 
proposed OAS observer mission.  Nearly all our contacts, in 
the political parties and civil society, want international 
observation to build public confidence in the elections, in 
the current tense political atmosphere (reftels) and a 
country where electoral fraud was common until a decade ago. 
We urged the OAS to have a continuous presence during the 
entire election process and expressed hope that the formal 
invitation would be expedited so detailed planning could 
begin.  We mentioned the Department's and Embassy's ongoing 
effort to identify funding for the OAS observers and offered 
to work closely with them and any other international 
observers. 
 
Murray told us the JCE had promised to send a formal 
invitation before the end of January.  He undertook to draft 
a detailed proposal, with cost estimates, which he would 
share by e-mail with the Embassy.  He also raised the idea of 
involving locally posted foreign diplomats in the 
international observation effort, since the OAS observer 
mission, with the minimum proposed funding, could not provide 
country-wide coverage.  He said OAS already has experience in 
working with diplomatic observers.  We strongly concurred and 
noted the Ambassador was already participating in a 
"mini-Dublin Group" of ambassadors who are monitoring the 
election process and urging the GODR to ensure a clean 
election. 
 
Pro-government daily "Listin Diario" on January 16 reported 
Murray's visit to five of the nine JCE judges.  JCE president 
Luis Arias reportedly "had no problem" with the proposed 
observer mission and indeed welcomed it as "an opportunity 
for the people to become aware that the high court (JCE) is 
acting with transparency."  Murray described the planned OAS 
role as facilitating communication between the JCE and 
political parties, to channel any complaints from them to the 
JCE and assist in delivering satisfactory responses to the 
parties.  He said points of interest for the observers would 
include municipal election boards, information systems, and 
voter registration rolls. 
 
Following through promptly with the invitation, funding, and 
planning for OAS observers will be essential.  The OAS 
observer mission has the potential to become the centerpiece 
of international election observation here from February to 
May, and perhaps through the end of June if the elections go 
to a second round.  By their presence, the OAS observers 
would add a new dimension to the already planned domestic 
observation organized by the USAID-supported NGO "Citizen 
Participation" (Participacion Ciudadana - PC).  The proposed 
lean mission of technical experts could extend its reach 
through local diplomats as "force multipliers."  The 
diplomats, below ambassadorial level, could receive 
orientation on election monitoring from the OAS experts and 
NGOs such as PC, before going out as formally accredited or 
informal election observers.  Embassy will continue its 
dialogue with the JCE to urge that the invitation be sent. 
 
¶2.  (U) Drafted by Bainbridge Cowell. 
KUBISKE