VZCZCXRO0475
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0129 0171715
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171715Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7340
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAKAR 000129 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR S/ES-CR, DRL/AE, INR/AA, AF/RSA AND AF/W 
NSC FOR AF SENIOR DIRECTOR PITTMAN 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC PREL PHUM KDEM SG
SUBJECT: SENIOR MINISTER GADIO'S HOLIDAY MESSAGE TO THE SECRETARY: 
GOVERNMENT READY FOR ELECTIONS? 
 
 
¶1.  (U) On January 16, the Embassy received a copy of a letter from 
Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheikh Tidiane Gadio to Secretary 
of State Condoleezza Rice.  An unofficial translation follows. 
 
Begin text. 
 
Republic of Senegal 
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Office of the Senior Minister 
Dakar, January 10, 2007 
 
Dear Madam Secretary and Dear Friend, 
 
It was with great pleasure that I received your best wishes for Eid 
Al-Adha. 
 
Those underscore, if it were necessary, the esteem and the interest 
that the American Government and people have for the Senegalese 
people and Government. 
 
Please be reassured that the Government of Senegal has taken all 
necessary measures to hold free, fair and democratic presidential 
and legislative elections in February 2007. 
 
In transmitting in turn my wishes for health, personal happiness and 
continued success in your functions, please accept, Madam Secretary, 
my renewed assurances of my highest consideration. 
 
/S/ 
Cheikh Tidiane Gadio 
 
Her Excellency 
Ms. Condoleezza Rice 
Secretary of State 
 
SIPDIS 
Washington. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶2.  (SBU) Senior Minister Gadio's letter was written two days before 
that Council of State invalidated the government's proposed 
redistricting plan, which led Minister of Interior Ousmane Ngom to 
announce that the legislative elections might be postponed by up to 
three months.  The same opposition parties that took the 
redistricting plan to the Council of State are now challenging the 
election delay in court.  Politicians, lawyers and observers have 
asserted that there is no need to postpone the elections since only 
district boundaries and not candidacies are in play.  Many observers 
believe that the blatant disregard for "one person, one vote" was 
intentional and was designed to provide the Government an excuse to 
postpone the legislative elections in which President Wade's party 
may face an uphill battle. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) While the Embassy cannot be certain of the Government's 
motives, we agree that postponing the legislative elections is not 
necessary.  The more serious issue is that approximately 60 percent 
of registered voters have yet to receive their voter registration 
cards.  END COMMENT. 
 
JACKSON