VZCZCXRO8412
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSL #0097 0381249
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 071249Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9497
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0420

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000097 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/UMB, AND EUR/RPM/C 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2026 
TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV PHUM SOCI HU PO BO EZ LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA WELCOMES U.S. ASSISTANCE, READY TO MOVE 
FORWARD ON V-4 ELECTION MONITORING IN BELARUS 
 
REF: A. BRATISLAVA 0042 
     ¶B. KOSTELANCIK-SILVERMAN CLASS E-MAIL 03 FEB 2006 
 
Classified By: DCM Lawrence R. Silverman for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
¶1.  (U)  This is an action request.  Please see para 7. 
 
¶2.  (C)  SUMMARY:  MFA Third Territorial Division Director 
Stefan Rozkopal welcomed the news February 7 that Washington 
had agreed in principle to set aside USD 40,000 to bolster 
the V-4 contingent of the March OSCE/ODIHR election 
monitoring mission to Belarus.  Together with OSCE desk 
office Tana Halaszova, Rozkopal told us that based on 
financial data from the 2004 Belarusian parliamentary 
election monitoring mission, the V-4 would likely be able to 
use this money to send up to 22 representatives (vice the 
originally estimated 16), participating as OSCE-accredited 
election monitors but wearing "dual emblems" of both OSCE and 
the V-4 (ref A).  Rozkopal recommended that the assistance be 
provided to Slovak NGO Obcianske Oko ("Public Eye"), a member 
of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations, 
which would then coordinate with similar NGOs in the Czech 
Republic, Hungary, and Poland to staff the mission. 
Obcianske Oko is "ready" to enter into a comprehensive 
contract which would provide for control of the financial 
resources, activity reports, etc., and Rozkopal believes that 
such an agreement with Obcianske Oko would give the USG "all 
guarantees" that the money would be used for the financing of 
the V-4 contingent.  END SUMMARY. 
 
FINANCING: SLOVAKIA GOOD AT "IMPROVISATION," BUT... 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3.  (C)  Rozkopal welcomed the news that Washington has set 
aside USD 40,000 for the financing of a V-4 contingent in 
next month's OSCE election monitoring mission to Belarus.  He 
noted that the Slovak MFA is adept at "improvisation," but 
there are strict laws and regulations in place concerning 
financing and overseas development aid; within the current 
framework, he does not believe that the Slovak government 
would be able to receive the U.S. assistance and pass it on 
to the appropriate NGO organizations (and even if it could, 
there might not be time to complete such a transfer). 
 
¶4.  (C)  Instead, Rozkopal recommended that the U.S. enter 
into a "direct contract" with Slovak NGO Obcianske Oko, 
which, as a member of the European Network of Election 
Monitoring Organizations, has extensive experience with these 
types of arrangements and missions.  Obcianske Oko would then 
partner with NGO organizations in the Czech Republic, 
Hungary, and Poland, to identify election monitors those 
countries could second to OSCE.  Obcianske Oko may need a 
small part of the USD 40,000 for administrative or technical 
fees, but Rozkopal thought any such overhead would be minimal 
as their networks are well established and such an effort 
would require "only a few e-mails." 
 
ROZKOPAL: USD 40,000 COULD FUND UP TO 22 V-4 OBSERVERS 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  When asked about the number of election monitors USD 
40,000 would be able to provide for, Halaszova produced the 
OSCE information packet for 2004 Belarusian parliamentary 
elections.  Based upon those costs and estimating for slight 
inflation and airfare, Halazsova and Rozkopal estimate that 
each election monitor would require EUR 1500 (approximately 
USD 1800) to deploy.  At this amount, the election monitoring 
mission could include up to 22 V-4 observers.  Rozkopal 
confided his concerns that the Hungarian MFA says it is 
unable to field any official government observers of their 
own.  Empowering Obcianske Oko to distribute the funding will 
guarantee that NGO representatives participate. 
 
SLOVAK POLDIR TO TRAVEL TO MINSK FEBRUARY 28 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  Rozkopal told us he and Slovak PolDir Miro Lajcak 
will travel to Minsk on February 28. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Action Request:  Post understands per ref B e-mail 
that there are concerns about being ale to distribute funds 
to an NGO, but requests guidance as to the feasibility of 
entering into a contract with Slovak NGO Obcianske Oko to 
administer the recruitment, deployment, and reporting 
activities of a V-4 contingent within the OSCE election 
monitoring mission.  In addition, please advise as to whether 
the USG would like to provide materials/points for the 
Lajcak/Rozkopal visit to Minsk February 28. 
VALLEE