VZCZCXRO2982
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #1813/01 2081448
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271448Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5880
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0082
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0191
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0893
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0740
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA 0386
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0421

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 001813 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, S/P, WHA/BSC, EUR/WE AND EAP/IET 
ACCRA ALSO FOR WARP 
LISBON ALSO FOR DAO 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON SCUL PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA-BISSAU HOSTS SUCCESSFUL CPLP SUMMIT 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert P. Jackson for reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (U) Guinea-Bissau hosted a successful Community of 
Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) summit in Bissau. 
Member states renewed friendships and cultural ties and 
passed the Bissau Declaration, which spells out hefty 
development goals.  In preparation for the event, the GOGB 
pulled off some major restoration, including street lights, 
fresh paint, road and airport repair, and a beautiful new 
five-star hotel.  The opposition Party for the Independence 
of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) used the opportunity 
of international press coverage to air complaints about Prime 
Minister Aristides Gomes, government and staged a failed 
attempt to kill the budget bill.  The GOGB is now in a 
stronger position, showing a stable country in need of 
international donor support as the round table approaches 
this November.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AN UNINSPIRED GIFT ... 
---------------------- 
¶2.  (U) The CPLP held its sixth annual summit in Bissau, July 
17-19.  The Presidents of Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cape 
Verde and Guinea-Bissau attended.  Brazil sent Education 
Minister Fernando Haddad, Sao Tome was represented by Prime 
Minister Tome Vera Cruz, and East Timor was represented by 
Minister of Internal Administration Ana Pessoa.  The topic of 
the summit was "Millennium Development Objectives: Challenges 
and Contributions of the CPLP."  The rotating presidency of 
the CPLP now shifts to Guinea-Bissau,s President Joao 
Bernardo "Nino" Vieira. 
 
¶3.  (U) The primary product of the summit was the Bissau 
Declaration which sets an ambitious goal of cutting poverty 
in half in member states by 2015.  The Bissau Declaration 
reaffirms signatories, commitments to democracy, rule of 
law, and peace and security in their regions.  The 15-page 
document also commits members to investing in a broad range 
of development initiatives, including universal education; 
gender equality and job training for women; access to 
reproductive health care and reduction of mother and infant 
mortality; treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and 
other infectious diseases; and sound environmental 
management. 
 
¶4.  (U) The summit and surrounding ministerial and civil 
society meetings provided opportunities for statements about 
the importance of cooperation on multiple levels, preserving 
and promoting the Portuguese language, and thanks to the host 
nation.  Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates told the 
press it was a "summit of solidarity and confidence in 
Guinea-Bissau."  The statement of support was reinforced by 
the announcement that his Government would construct a 
Portuguese language and cultural center in downtown Bissau on 
a lot provided by the GOGB. 
 
... IN SHINY NEW WRAPPING ... 
----------------------------- 
¶5.  (U) Guinea-Bissau put its best foot forward to welcome 
fellow CPLP members and did a commendable job of hosting a 
conference that was financially well beyond its means. 
Street lights were installed and operational from the airport 
all the way downtown and on several key avenues.  Fresh paint 
was put up on many weathered surfaces, and some of the more 
treacherous potholes were filled in.  The jewel in the crown 
was the renovation of the former National Assembly building 
-- in about three months time -- into the new, 
privately-owned five-star Bissau Palace Hotel, which hosted 
the summit and heads of delegation.  Many of the support 
functions for the summit were donated.  For example, Brazil 
supplied military security and health care workers while 
other governments, including China, helped pick up the tab. 
 
... COULD NOT BE RIPPED APART 
----------------------------- 
¶6.  (U) PAIGC leaders did their best to raise doubts about 
Guinea-Bissau,s political stability but had little effect. 
As visitors began arriving, party leader Carlos Gomes Jr. 
called for the dissolution of the National Popular Assembly 
(ANP) and new elections, claiming the political impasse could 
 
DAKAR 00001813  002 OF 002 
 
 
not be overcome.  This was later echoed by the head of the 
National Popular Assembly (ANP), Francisco Benante, also of 
the PAIGC.  The party leadership,s refusal to participate in 
what they still consider the unconstitutional Gomes 
government -- despite a Supreme Court ruling to the contrary 
-- culminated in a dramatic party walk-out before a vote on 
the government,s budget proposal.  Although it is the 
largest party, the PAIGC does not hold a majority; so the 
government budget passed with 53 votes in favor, zero 
against, and one abstention. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶7.  (C) The CPLP is a loose organization of countries that 
have few similarities besides language, and some, like 
Guinea-Bissau -- where Portuguese is spoken only by a small 
elite class -- barely share that.  The summit is probably 
more successful at renewing cultural ties and friendships 
than it will be in implementing the vast development goals 
spelled out in the Bissau Declaration.  Perhaps the most 
significant outcome for the GOGB is that it pulled off a 
well-planned event with no major glitches and meanwhile, 
managed to pass its budget proposal despite the opposition,s 
best efforts to derail it.  This is a good sign that the 
Gomes government continues to stabilize, which will be a key 
factor for donors who are deciding how much to give at the 
November 7-8 round table in Geneva to support GOGB,s reform 
agenda.  END COMMENT. 
JACOBS