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