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Viewing cable 04CARACAS407, ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK ON SIGNATURE COUNT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
04CARACAS407 2004-02-05 12:45 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Caracas
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 000407 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
USAID DCHA/OTI FOR RPORTER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2014 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK ON SIGNATURE COUNT 
 
REF: A. CARACAS 00312 
 
     B. CARACAS 00310 
 
Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor, for reasons 1.4 
(B) and (D) 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) Technical and organizational problems, suspected 
employee sabotage, and lethargic decision making continue to 
stymie progress of signature verifications collected to 
convoke recall referendums on President Hugo Chavez and 67 
National Assembly deputies.  National Electoral Council (CNE) 
President Francisco Carrasquero stated January 30 that the 
CNE would not make the February 13 verification deadline. 
The 40-person Superior Technical Committee began work on 
February 3.  The CNE's decisions to send GOV-collected 
signatures back through the physical verification stage, 
produce signature form copies for the GOV's campaign to prove 
"megafraud," and its inability to make decisions on verifying 
thumbprints or establish norms for the next stages of the 
process suggest more delays are imminent. End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
Recall Drives Plod Along 
------------------------ 
 
2. (C) National Electoral Council (CNE) progress verifying 
signature drives to convoke recall referendums on President 
Hugo Chavez and 67 National Assembly deputies continues at a 
slower than expected pace.  The CNE announced January 29 that 
they had started the transcription of signatures collected to 
recall President Hugo Chavez on January 28, the second of a 
seven-stage process in the signature verification process. 
By February 2, members of the opposition Democratic 
Coordinator (CD) claimed Jorge Rodriguez, CNE Director and 
President of the CNE's National Electoral Board (JNE), told 
them the transcription process for the Chavez drive was 
completed. (Note: OAS observers inform us that 90,000 of 
380,000 signature forms against Chavez - about 25 percent - 
have not been transcribed as they are awaiting reviews by the 
Superior Technical Commission.) 
 
3. (C) CNE employee (Civil and Electoral Registry Commission) 
Diego Acevedo told poloff January 29 that the signature forms 
to recall opposition deputies were more than half way through 
the transcription process (Stage 2 of verification). 
However, the CNE announced January 30 that they would require 
those signatures to go through the initial physical 
verification stage again because they had been approved using 
a less strict standard than the signatures gathered to recall 
Chavez.  The CNE was almost finished physically verifying 
signatures collected to recall pro-GOV deputies on January 
29, according to Acevedo.  He said enough signatures had 
already been invalidated to discount 11 of the 30 pro-GOV 
deputy drives. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Recall Holdups, Fraud, and Shenanigans 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Jorge Rodriguez confirmed publicly February 2 that the 
number of rejected signature collection forms suddenly spiked 
upwards during the physical verification of presidential 
recall signatures. He said the source of the "abnormalities" 
has been determined and employees involved have been fired. 
Acevedo claimed some Chavista transcriptionists were applying 
stricter standards to anti-GOV signature forms, such as 
overvigorously rejecting signatures because of transposed 
identification numbers, legibility issues, and thumbprint 
quality and were altering data, to include filling out blank 
spaces.  He suspected CNE employees would overrule the 
"sabotage" committed by temporary workers during the next 
stages of the verification (cross-check, quality control, and 
Superior Technical Committee review), but not before burying 
the process in a mountain of unnecessary work. 
 
5. (C) OAS observers told us transcription delays are caused 
by lack of a consistent supply of signature forms to 
transcribers, insufficient manpower, salary issues, and 
problems with software and technical support.  Staffing is 
 
particularly problematic for the night shift.  Acevedo 
claimed significant delays are caused by absenteeism 
(estimated at 15 to 20 percent by an OAS source, ref b) and 
deliberately slow work by Chavista employees who make up 
about 70 percent of the workforce in the physical revision 
and transcription stages of the process.  Carrasquero claimed 
80 percent of the regular CNE employees were allied to the 
opposition in response to recent criticism that the CNE was 
sending qualified employees on "vacations" and hiring hoards 
of Chavistas in an attempt to pack the CNE.  OAS reported 
January 31 that the Quality Control process had not started 
for any of the drives.  The 40-person Superior Technical 
Committee (CTS), the group that will review rejected 
signatures, began work on February 3. 
 
6. (U) During his weekly televised address February 1, Chavez 
praised National Assembly Deputy Luis Tascon's efforts to 
obtain certified copies of the signature forms requesting a 
presidential recall. Chavez promised to dedicate an upcoming 
address to exposing the supposed fraud.  Tascon is 
spearheading efforts by the GOV's electoral organizers, the 
"Comando Ayacucho," to initiate an investigation into 
signature collection fraud, such as signatures of the 
deceased, from citizens living abroad, or for signature forms 
that are not accounted for on daily tally sheets (actas). 
Tascon announced January 31 that the CNE agreed to oversee 
the photocopying of opposition signature forms with both 
opposition and GOV observers present, although Comando 
Ayacucho will cover the cost.  He estimated the copies would 
be completed by mid-week.  OAS reports confirm that 
photocopying started January 31 at the unanimous consent of 
the CNE directors and related the concern that this could 
further delay the process.  Comando Ayacucho plans to collect 
complaints February 6-8 at voting centers national-wide from 
citizens who suspect their signatures were used illegally. 
Tascon said a report documenting the "megafraud" will be 
presented at a press conference tentatively planned for 
February 12.  (Comment: The CNE plans to publish the identity 
numbers of those who signed the petitions.  Hence, this 
operation seems designed to generate public attention for the 
GOV's "megafraud" theory. End comment.) 
 
----------------------- 
Whither the Thumbprints 
----------------------- 
 
7. (C) No decisions have been made regarding verification of 
thumbprints on signature forms.  According to the February 1 
edition of daily El Universal, French company Sagem estimated 
it would take at least three weeks to verify 500,000 thumb 
prints.  The article also questioned the technical ability 
and resources of another potential contractor, Smartmatic, to 
verify the thumbprints.  According to a November 2003 report 
from the Ministry of Interior and Justice, 3.24 million 
records with citizen thumbprints which would be used to 
verify the signature form prints have not been labeled or 
filed. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Opposition Refuses to Give CNE Unqualified Support 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
8. (U) Following Chavez's January 15 statements that he would 
respect the CNE's decision "whatever that decision may be," 
GOV leaders have consistently badgered the opposition to make 
a similar claim.  Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel 
characterized the CD's response as "a grave insult to the 
members of the CNE ... by inferring that they will produce a 
decision that's neither transparent or lawful."  CD spokesman 
Americo Martin said February 1 that it would only respect the 
results of the CNE's verification process if it was 
"transparent," a message consistent with comments of most CD 
leaders the previous week.  The CD has taken no formal 
position on whether or not it will unconditionally accept the 
CNE's verdict.  (Comment:  In his January 30 Diplomatic Corps 
greeting speech, Chavez said he would obey the CNE ruling, 
and even step down if he lost the referendum, "as long as 
this was done with respect for the constitution and without 
pressure (chantaje)" -- a message not dissimilar to the 
opposition's, but the opposition has not spun it as well.) 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Deadlines: Redrawing Lines in the Sand 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
9. (U) Members of the opposition alliance Democratic 
Coordinator (CD) met February 2 with Rodriguez to urge the 
JNE to stick to the February 13 deadline to conclude the 
verification process.  On January 30, CNE Director Francisco 
Carrasquero confirmed the CNE would not complete the 
verification process by February 14, the end of the 30-day 
time limit for verification that officially started January 
13.  He added the CNE was in the process of "readjusting" its 
timetable and a new deadline would be announced within days. 
Rodriguez announced January 29 that a new CNE committee would 
release an exact date and new schedule within 24 hours.  A 
formal announcement had not been made by February 4. 
 
10. (C) US President Jimmy Carter predicted a March 1 
conclusion of the process after meeting with the CNE on 
January 27 (ref a).  Acevedo predicted a final announcement 
between Feb. 29 and the first week of March.  From the 
opposition perspective, this is the third delay since the 
opposition delivered the Chavez signatures December 19. The 
CNE has pointed to the immense workload and unforeseen 
difficulties incumbent to overseeing more than 60 referendum 
drives, a new function for the Venezuelan electoral 
institution. 
 
----------------------- 
Sumate Unveils Database 
----------------------- 
 
11. (U) The civil organization Sumate unveiled a computerized 
database of 388,000 signature collection forms calling for 
Chavez's recall.  Petition signers can use their 
identification numbers to locate the digitally scanned forms 
they signed.  After comparing the data with the Permanent 
Electoral Registry (REP) and accounting for entry errors and 
blank entries, Sumate concluded more than 3.1 million valid 
signatures were collected.  During the last week of January, 
Sumate showed the database to the diplomatic corps, 
journalists, and President Carter, among others.  The group 
plans to deliver copies of the database to the OAS and Carter 
Center. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
12. (C) The CNE continues its beleaguered march toward 
signature verification.  Symbolic of the one step forward, 
two steps back verification process, the formation of the 
Superior Technical Committee showed progress, but was 
undermined by an absence of rules the group needs to start 
its job.  The elusive fingerprint check and the publication 
of seven million identity numbers also remain significant 
hurdles.  International observers - notably the Carter Center 
- continue their public support for the CNE.  Our message 
should continue to be one of support for the CNE as the 
independent arbiter of the process. 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
NNNN