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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NOUAKCHOTT 001193 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2015 
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV PHUM EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: POLITICAL PARTIES ACCUSE GOVERNMENT OF MEDDLING IN 
ELECTIONS 
 
Classified By: CDA Steven Koutsis, Reasons 1.4(b)(d) 
 
----------- 
(C) Summary 
----------- 
 
-- Mauritania's political parties have denounced the 
government for allegedly pressuring candidates to leave their 
parties and run as independents in coming elections. 
 
-- In addition, National Democratic Institute reps have "felt 
pressure to increase our engagement with independent 
candidates." 
 
-- Meanwhile, the government maintains it is neutral, 
describing the whole brush-up as "politics." 
 
------------ 
(C) Comments 
------------ 
 
-- Little doubt remains that the government has indeed been 
encouraging candidates to run as independents. 
 
-- For many, this is proof that the military council will not 
stand by as the objective caretaker government, but will 
instead take steps to shape the electoral outcome. 
 
-- While the impact of the government's actions are yet to be 
known, the mere fact that they decided to intervene is 
troubling, and could be an indication of future interference. 
 
-- Theories abound as to what the government is up to.  The 
most credible is that the government wants to pack the 
parliament with independent candidates, who will in turn 
support an independent candidate for president, cutting the 
political parties out of the process. 
 
End Summary and Comments. 
 
¶1. (C) Over the past 10 days, a majority of Mauritania's 
influential political parties and party coalitions have 
accused the government of interfering in the electoral 
process.  The alleged interference comes at a key moment in 
the political transition.  Registration of candidate lists 
for November 19 municipal council elections run from 
September 20 - 30.  These elections are important as 
municipal councils elect senators. The registration period 
for legislative elections runs from October 3-18.  Clearly, 
any reaction to the government's moves, no matter how strong, 
may be too late to have any effect. 
 
---------------------------- 
THE POLITICAL PARTY POSITION 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) According to a majority of Mauritanian political 
parties, the government has begun contacting leading party 
figures and influential members of civil society to encourage 
them to run as independent candidates, rather than on 
political party slates.  According to various parties, the 
government has succeeded in convincing scores of candidates 
to leave their parties and run as independents. 
 
¶3. (U) On September 24, 22 political parties (including 
nearly every major party) joined together to form "The 
National Meeting for the Defense of Democracy (RNDD)," to 
protest the governments actions and call for the transitional 
authorities to "immediately stop their intervention in the 
political process." 
 
¶4. (C) In a September 26 meeting with representatives from 
the leading political party coalition "Coalition of Forces 
for Democratic Change (CFCD)," presidential candidate Ahmed 
Ould Daddah told Charge that Mauritania's political parties 
"had worked well with the transitional government since 
August 3...but now our trust in the government is broken and 
we are very concerned."  Daddah explained that "the 
government has been contacting the most notable Mauritanians 
in our coalition and telling them that our parties aren't 
organized or capable of governing and that they should run 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00001193  002 OF 003 
 
 
instead as independents." 
 
¶5. (C) Cheikh Ould Horma, president of the political party 
"Rally for Mauritania" told Charge that "the government is 
trying to assemble a powerful group of independent candidates 
together."  "If this group of independents gains power, they 
will form a new party, similar to the PRDS (the former party 
of President Taya)," Horma said, adding that "this new group 
would be controlled by those currently in power."  Horma and 
the other CFCD members added that the transitional government 
would secretly provide these independent candidates with 
significant campaign funding to ensure their success. 
 
¶6. (C) Responding to Charge's question about the progress of 
municipal council candidate registrations, Daddah said "the 
current crisis has consumed political parties' attention, and 
many parties have been unable to register all their 
candidates in each race." 
 
------------------------- 
THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION 
------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) In a September 26 meeting Secretary General of the 
Presidency Habib Ould Hemet (who holds ministerial rank and 
is the chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on 
elections) told Charge that the government "remains committed 
to its principles of neutrality and transparency."  Hemet 
said "we have met with interested political parties and 
reassured them of our commitment to neutrality," adding that 
"there has been a misunderstanding and I believe this will 
all be resolved in the coming days."  He added "these recent 
developments are merely election fervor which will rise and 
fall as the elections approach." 
 
¶8. (C) Responding to Charge's question about his concern for 
the political party unrest, Hemet said "its just 
politics...so I am not concerned," adding that "August 3 was 
about returning choice to Mauritania, and the government is 
committed to doing so in a neutral and transparent manner." 
"Political parties must play a central role in these 
elections, but there is also a role for independents," Hemet 
concluded. 
 
----------- 
NDI'S VIEWS 
----------- 
 
¶9. (C) National Democratic Institute (NDI) Resident Director 
Jacques Veilleux told PolOff that NDI is "extremely concerned 
about the government's recent moves," adding that NDI "has 
also felt pressure to increase our engagement with 
independent candidates."  Veilleux explained that in a recent 
meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Interior, 
NDI was "strongly encouraged" to include independent 
candidates in its training sessions and debate planning.  "We 
told the officials that, as our goal was to reinforce the 
role and capacity of political parties, we would not alter 
our plans and include independent candidates," Veilleux said, 
adding that "these officials clearly had their marching 
orders on this subject." 
 
¶10. (C) Personally, Veilleux believes the government is 
encouraging independent candidates in order to weaken 
political parties (and ultimately the parliament) in an 
effort to maintain the influence of the current powerbase. 
"A parliament of mostly independents will be fractious and 
weak, and much easier to control," Veilleux said, adding 
"particularly by those currently helping to get them 
elected." 
 
¶11. (C) Veilleux warned that "without a strong parliament 
acting as a check on the power of the presidency, the 
government will be run entirely from the top," adding that 
"we have already seen the dangers such a balance of power 
poses."  Veilleux concluded the point by saying that "in 
order for this democratic transition to succeed, and for 
democracy to truly take root, we must work to strengthen 
Mauritania's democratic institutions, in this case, its 
political parties." 
 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00001193  003 OF 003 
 
 
-------------------- 
WHAT ARE THEY UP TO? 
-------------------- 
 
¶12. (C) While it is unclear why the government has taken this 
step, several theories have emerged.  The most credible is 
that the authorities want to pack the parliament with 
independent candidates, who would be more beholden to the 
present authorities.  Those legislators would in turn back an 
independent candidate for president (presumably one 
acceptable to the authorities).  Under this scenario, the 
present rulers would be assured of favored treatment by the 
new government. 
 
¶13. (C) Meanwhile, the Ambassadors of France, Spain, and 
Germany collectively met with Hemet on September 22 to 
express their concern over these latest events, and French 
media has reported that President Jacques Chirac raised the 
issue of neutrality during his meeting with Colonel Vall on 
September 26.  Following the meeting, an Elysee spokesman 
stated that Chirac "expressed to Col Vall his confidence in 
Mauritania's ability to carry through the democratic 
transition started under his authority.  France supports the 
process which is under way by continuing its cooperation with 
Mauritania." 
Koutsis