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Viewing cable 06KHARTOUM882, Sudan: April 6 Meeting of the Assessment and
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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
06KHARTOUM882 | 2006-04-12 09:08 | 2011-08-24 16:30 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Khartoum |
VZCZCXRO0507
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0882/01 1020908
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120908Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2303
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000882
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EAID PREL SU
SUBJECT: Sudan: April 6 Meeting of the Assessment and
Evaluation Commission
¶1. SUMMARY: On April 6, Chairman Tom Vraalsen convened
the sixth meeting of the Assessment and Evaluation
Commission (AEC). Participation was good: all three
NCP, and two SPLM members attended. The most contentious
issues raised at the meeting were the scope of the
working groups' mandate and the role of the National
Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC). FM Lam Akol and
the representatives from the NCP felt that the working
groups should stick to the letter of the CPA, while SPLM
Malik Agar and some of the donor representatives believed
it was appropriate to discuss issues more broadly in the
overall context of the spirit of the CPA. With regards
to the NCRC, Akol said that its exact role reviewing
legislation is up for interpretation, but that laws just
needed consensus from the two parties. He explained that
as long as the National Assembly, which has the same
proportional make-up of the NCRC, can reach a consensus,
then it is as good as an NCRC approval. END SUMMARY.
------------------------------------------
Assessing the Letter of Spirit of the CPA?
------------------------------------------
¶2. During the discussion of the reports of the four
working groups, Akol and the NCP representatives
expressed concern that some groups were exceeding their
mandate and reporting on issues not covered in the CPA.
Specifically mentioned was the report from the Working
Group on the Three Areas, which discussed the issue of
representation of the SPLM in the Blue Nile civil
service, the integration of former SPLM members into the
police and judiciary, and the possibility of rotating the
speaker of the state assembly in South Kordofan.
Minister Agar, as well as the Dutch and Italian
representatives, felt that it was appropriate to address
any issue that threatens the peace or the spirit of the
CPA. For the transition areas in particular, Agar said
that the CPA called for representation from both parties
in the governments, so discussing how that representation
takes shape is part of the work of the AEC.
Nevertheless, Vraalsen cautioned that the working groups
should stay as close as possible to the CPA to preserve
the credibility of the AEC.
--------------------------------
CPA Going Ahead Without the NCRC
--------------------------------
¶3. The GNU representative from the NCP then went over
the key accomplishments in CPA implementation over the
past month. He particularly highlighted the work of the
Technical Ad hoc Border Committee, which had decided to
begin by identifying "flash points" of dispute and
focusing on those areas. Akol commended this progress
despite the fact that the Government of Southern Sudan
(GoSS) had failed to send a replacement member for
Michael Makwei, who had dropped out of the committee over
a protocol issue. The GNU representative also said that
there had been good progress on the National Census
Board, and that they were now waiting for the GoSS to
name a new Director of the Southern Sudan Center for
Statistics and Evaluation (SSCSE).
¶4. Akol said that the highest priority right now was
prioritizing the legislation for CPA implementation. He
explained that there were currently 60 laws going before
the National Assembly, which was more than it could
handle in one session. The British representative
expressed concern that the NCRC had not reviewed these
laws. Akol responded by saying that all that is required
is for the SPLM and NCP to achieve consensus on any laws.
He said that bypassing the NCRC does not violate the CPA,
because the proportional representation in the National
Assembly is the same as the NCRC, and that the Council of
Ministers could review the laws for compliance with the
CPA and Interim National Constitution. Akol believed
that the laws were too important to wait for the NCRC to
reconstitute, which should happen soon, but is currently
waiting for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to
make its nomination. Either way, Akol said, the issue of
whether the NCRC should review all laws, or just laws
dealing with commissions, is up for interpretation.
-------------------------------
Chairman's Report and Follow-up
-------------------------------
¶5. Vraalsen reported that the AEC offices will soon be
ready, thanks to a donation of furniture and office
equipment from the U.S. Norway has provided a vehicle
for the AEC, the Germans are providing a legal expert,
and the Italians have pledged Euro 500,000. However, he
KHARTOUM 00000882 002 OF 002
said that more support was necessary as the AEC was about
to begin recruiting staff for its secretariat.
¶6. The Chairman closed the meeting by explaining that he
was planning to convene a three special "committee of the
whole" meetings (in consecutive weeks beginning April 27)
so that the commission could hear presentations on the
three issues about which he was most concerned: the work
of the Joint Defense Board, the role of the National
Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC), and the status
of Khartoum State as the national capital. The next
plenary meeting is scheduled for May 7.
STEINFELD