VZCZCXYZ0020
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPC #0210/01 0731704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141704Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7844
INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA PRIORITY 2104
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU PRIORITY 3926
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU PRIORITY 8859
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0537

UNCLAS LOME 000210 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR D'ELIA AND KANEDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PREL EAID TO
SUBJECT: DONORS DISCUSS TOGO ELECTION PROGRESS 
 
 
¶1. Ambassador and DCM attended an expanded donors "Group of 
Five" meeting on March 9 called by German Ambassador Hubert 
Kolb. Also present were the Ambassador of France and his DCM, 
the Delegate from the EU and his DCM, the Resident 
Representative of UNDP, the Resident Representative of the UN 
High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Head of Mission of 
the International Committee of the Red Cross. The group 
listened to a presentation by Alexandre Ponyo, a UNDP 
elections expert, on the state of play with respect to the 
technical side of voter registration for the legislative 
elections schedule for June 24. 
 
¶2. The EU and the UNDP have teamed up for a project called 
PEACE - Projet d'Enregistrement et d'Appui au Cycle Electoral 
du Togo - i.e., the Project of Voter Registration and 
Electoral Assistance to Togo. The project's general 
objectives are (a) the organization of elections that will be 
considered free, fair and transparent within Togo as well as 
internationally and (b) reinforcement of the capacity and the 
means of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) 
to manage an electoral process that meets national and 
international standards. 
 
¶3. The project has four specific objectives: 
 
¶A. Creation of an electoral list that is reasonably 
trustworthy utilizing a computerized registration kit which 
collects biometric data and produces a voter registration 
card for delivery on the spot. 
 
¶B. Reinforcement of the capacity of NGOs, civil society, and 
the media to observe national elections. 
 
¶C. Provision of a safe environment for conduct of elections. 
 
¶D. Building on the gains made during this electoral process 
to continue long term development of the CENI and civil 
society with respect to elections 
 
 
¶4. The expected results are as follows: 
 
¶A. Consolidation of the democratic process 
 
¶B. A biometrically-based data base of Togolese voters that is 
secure and reliable. 
 
¶C. At least 48% of the population will receive a unique piece 
of personal identification. 
 
¶D. A list of the electorate that fulfills the requirements of 
universal suffrage. 
 
¶E. The rights of the population as well as the voters will be 
respected. 
 
¶F. The CENI will have well-trained personnel and a modern 
technical election infrastructure. 
 
¶G. The political parties will be involved in the electoral 
process. 
 
¶H. Election results will be gathered in near real time and 
accepted by the parties engaged in the elections. 
 
 
¶5. Structures to implement the project at the national and 
local level have been agreed with the Independent National 
Electoral Commission (CENI). In addition, the EU plans to 
have a robust observer team in Togo for the election. 
 
¶6. UNDP has estimated the elections will cost about USD 
22,700,000 or about USD 7.70 per voter. This estimate is the 
fourth iteration of estimates for cost and is within the 
historical range in light of the conditions expected in Togo. 
In UNDP's experience, elections in stable democracies cost 
from one to three dollars per voter. For democracies in 
transition elections cost from three to eight dollars per 
voter, and countries in a post-conflict environment spend 
from eight to forty-five dollars per voter. 
 
 
¶7. In order to keep the technical side of the election 
process on track UNDP recommends the following: 
 
¶A. Confirm availability of money necessary for Project PEACE 
Togo via request to EU and UNDP. 
¶B. Rapidly setup the pilot project. 
 
¶C. Involve Ministries of Territorial Administration, 
Cooperation, Communications and Human Rights. 
 
¶D. Chose a technical operator for the implementation of the 
voter registration project. 
 
¶E. Update administrative districting to have voting districts 
with similar numbers of voters. 
 
¶F. Begin preparations for awareness campaigns directed at 
voters. 
 
¶G. Reinforce the decision-making autonomy of the CENI. 
 
 
¶8. Comment: Post reiterates its earlier request for USG 
contingency funding to assist Togo's upcoming legislative 
elections. These elections are the centerpiece of a strategy 
negotiated between the ruling party and its opponents to end 
Togo's long political and economic crisis through a process 
of democratization. The EU and the UNDP have stepped up to 
the plate in a big way to assist the Togolese with this 
critical exercise, but funding for only about two-thirds of 
the estimated USD 23 million costs have been identified from 
donor and GoT resources. Even a token USG contribution, e.g., 
through the UN's election trust fund or using a USG NGO 
specializing in election assistance, will have an important 
symbolic impact in Togo, which has always looked to the U.S. 
as the world's leading proponent of democracy and good 
governance. End Comment. 
DUNN