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RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS RUEHPA
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R 231627Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5195
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0192
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0223
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0378
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0135

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID MR
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: CENSUS BEGINS, MARKING SIGNIFICANT STEP 
TOWARDS ELECTIONS 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Steven Koutsis, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) 
 
-------------- 
(U) Key Points 
-------------- 
 
-- The Mauritanian census and voter registration drive began 
February 16 and is scheduled to end March 15, with an 
additional two to four week period for late registration. 
 
-- As many as 200,000 eligible voters -- nearly 20 percent of 
the estimated eligible voting population -- currently lack 
National ID cards required for voter registration. 
 
-- Police officials charged with issuing ID cards reported 
being "overwhelmed" with the "significant increase in 
requests for ID cards." 
 
------------ 
(C) Comments 
------------ 
 
-- The census is now in full-swing and appears well 
coordinated.  Emboffs observed census takers as they 
performed their duties.  The workers appeared motivated and 
knowledgeable about their duties.  The National Statistic 
Office appears ready to collate the information, but it is 
still too early to test the system. 
 
-- The issue of National ID cards is particularly important 
for Afro-Mauritanians, who constitute a significant majority 
of those without the cards. 
 
End Key Points and Comments. 
 
¶1. (U) During two days of observations in Nouakchott and 
Rosso areas February 21-22 organized by the local UN 
Secretariat for Electoral Assistance, EmbOffs followed census 
 
SIPDIS 
takers, witnessed voter registrations and met with 
representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, the 
National Statistics Office (NSO) and the National Independent 
Electoral Commission.  The "Administrative Census for the 
Purpose of Elections" (known here by its French acronym 
"RAVEL") -- the goal of which is to create a voters lists -- 
began February 16 and is scheduled to end March 15, with an 
additional two to four week period for late registration. 
Emboffs were accompanied by UN election experts, other 
embassy representatives and representatives from the Club De 
Madrid. 
 
¶2. (C) There are several actors involved in the census 
process, including the Ministry of the Interior charged with 
running the census, the NSO charged with creating and 
verifying the electoral list database, the police charged 
with issuing the National ID cards needed to register, and 
the electoral commission charged with supervising the entire 
process.  While some coordination problems have been reported 
-- such as communication difficulties with regions that lack 
adequate cellular coverage -- the majority of actors report 
good collaboration. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
NATIONAL ID CARDS CONSTITUTE LARGEST HURDLE 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Census officials unanimously acknowledged that 
National ID cards constituted the "largest hurdle" in the 
census process.  According to ONS and Ministry of the 
Interior figures, as many as 200,000 eligible voters -- 
nearly 20 percent of the estimated eligible voting population 
-- currently lack National ID cards required for voter 
registration.  In one village in the Southern boarder city of 
Rosso, electoral commission workers reported that 127 
residents were registered, but an additional 21 eligible 
voters were not registered because they did not have their ID 
cards.  These residents were instructed to apply for their ID 
cards in Rosso, where they could then be registered to vote. 
According to census officials, the ID application process 
took between three to five days for applicants with the 
required documents. 
 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000200  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶4. (C) EmbOff met many residents in the Rosso area who said 
they lacked the birth certificates necessary to apply for 
National ID cards.  These individuals did not know how to 
request birth certificates, and census officials were mixed 
on how -- or if -- applicants could acquire them.  "Without a 
birth certificate you can't get a National ID card," 
President of the regional electoral commission in the Trarza 
Region Ndiadiawar Kane said, adding that "there isn't enough 
time to get a birth certificate, so these people just won't 
be able to participate."  In contrast, observers in 
Nouakchott noted that civil registry officials were able to 
meet the surge in demand for birth certificates, and appear 
to be relaxing somewhat the strict rules for obtaining the 
document. 
 
¶5. (C) The government has said that they have opened -- or 
are in the process of opening -- 66 new offices for issuing 
National ID cards.  However, during EmbOff's visit, Rosso was 
the only city with a National ID office in the Trarza Region 
-- one of the more populated of Mauritania's 13 regions. 
Police officials charged with issuing ID cards in Rosso 
reported being "overwhelmed" with the "significant increase 
in requests for ID cards."  EmbOff observed several hundred 
applicants waiting for ID cards at the Rosso location. 
 
------------------------ 
THE REGISTRATION PROCESS 
------------------------ 
 
¶6. (U) The census involves door-to-door canvassing of 
neighborhoods by a one to four person team of census workers. 
 Once residents have been identified and have shown their 
National ID card, the census worker records their name, 
location, ID card number and census registration number in a 
log book.  This same information is given to the resident as 
a receipt verifying their registration. 
 
¶7. (U)  When the log book of 800 names is filled, the book is 
sent to the ONS in Nouakchott to be entered by NSO officials 
into the voter lists database and the name and National ID 
number are verified against the existing list of National 
IDs.  If a discrepancy arises at the data entry level, a 
problem resolution unit has been established to research the 
name.  If the discrepancy cannot be handled administratively, 
NSO will send the case back to the region for investigation 
and resolution.  Emboff observed ONS employees in training, 
using previous census books to practice data entry.  However, 
the NSO has not yet received any logs, so its system has not 
yet been fully activated. 
 
¶8. (U) NSO will issue voter's cards to all registered voters 
to be distributed through the regional authorities.  However, 
NSO officials told observers that the cards are only a 
convenience to help poll workers find names on the voters 
lists, and are not required to be presented for voting. 
Voters will be required to show their National ID cards on 
election day, however. 
 
¶9. (C) Census workers in Nouakchott said it was difficult to 
find people at home during working hours and census 
organizers were considering changing canvassing hours to 
afternoon and evening.  Several census workers in Rosso 
complained about the long hours and heavy workload.  "If I 
had known it was this much work, I would not have agreed to 
the job," one census worker said, adding that his salary of 
approximately 260 USD per month was "insufficient for the 
amount of work they are asking us to do." 
LeBaron