VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDR #0608/01 1151320
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251320Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6002
RUEHOR/AMEMBASSY GABORONE PRIORITY 0665
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 0562
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU PRIORITY 0299
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0423
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000608 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/T FOR GUINNEVERE ROBERTS; AF/E FOR BARBARA YODER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TPHY WMO TZ
SUBJECT: WMO CONGRESS; TANZANIA'S VP CANDIDATE 
 
REF: A. STATE 47359 
 
     ¶B. OUAGADOUGOU 00300 
     ¶C. GABORONE 00553 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  This is an action request.  See paragraph 
¶2.  The Director General of the Tanzania Meteorological 
Agency (TMA), Dr. M.S. Mhita, confirmed his candidacy for 
vice president of the World Meteorological Organization 
(WMO), requested USG support for his candidacy, and discussed 
WMO issues with Econoff on April 24.  Mhita anticipates the 
WMO budget will be a problem, recognizes the need for program 
priorities and favors limiting the number of advisors at 
Executive Council meetings.  Mhita has no concerns regarding 
Zimbabwe's new leadership role in WMO Regional Association I. 
 END SUMMARY. 
 
VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATE 
 
¶2.  (U)  Dr. M.S. Mhita, Director General of the Tanzania 
Meteorological Agency (TMA) will run for vice president of 
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at the WMO 
Congress in Geneva on May 7-25, 2007.  The Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs mission in Geneva will join the TMA at the 
WMO Congress and Suleiman Saleh, Foreign Service Officer in 
the MFA's Multilateral Division, told Econoff the MFA is 
preparing a formal request for USG support of Mhita's 
candidacy.  ACTION REQUEST:  Post requests guidance on the 
GOT's request for USG support of Dr. Mhita for vice president 
of the WMO. 
 
BUDGET 
 
¶3.  (U)  Mhita said the WMO budget will be one of the biggest 
problems at the Congress as it will be "very difficult" to 
have a zero nominal growth budget while proceeding with the 
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation program (DPM) and basic, 
accurate information flow.  "We will ask for a better 
package, but know that some members will need convincing," 
Mhita said.  Econoff stressed the need for program priorities 
and Mhita listed World Weather Watch, DPM, education and 
training as priorities, noting DPM is especially important 
for developing countries. 
 
GOVERNANCE 
 
¶4.  (U)  Mhita said he could "go along with" the Swiss 
proposal to allow all WMO members access to Executive Council 
documents, but he was "not happy" that Executive Council 
members are bringing several advisors to Council meetings. 
Mhita cautioned that if many advisors accompany the Council 
members, it becomes too large to be effective, and suggested 
limiting the number of accompanying advisors.  Mhita had no 
opinion regarding whether to allow observers at Council 
meetings, but noted inequity among members as those located 
near Geneva or with greater resources are more likely to 
bring a team. 
 
¶5.  (U)  To improve governance of the WMO, Mhita is preparing 
strategic plans to be discussed at the Congress in May. 
Mhita noted that the WMO audit process of internal audit, 
external audit and an audit committee has improved over the 
last two-to-three years, with a corresponding increase in 
efficiency. 
 
GERMAN PROPOSAL 
 
¶6.  (U)  Mhita does not oppose the German proposal to change 
the WMO Convention, but believes it is not necessary and, so, 
will not actively support it either.  Mhita added that the 
Germans have pushed this issue for many years without 
success. 
 
THORPEX 
 
¶7.  (U)  Tanzania does not yet participate in The Observing 
System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) but 
hopes to establish a similar program for the East 
Africa/Southern Africa region, along the lines of the West 
Africa model. 
 
LEADERSHIP 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Because the WMO Regional Association I (RA I) 
elected its former vice president, M.L. Bah of Guinea, to be 
president (Ref B), Econoff asked whether the new vice 
president, A. Makarau from Zimbabwe, is primed to assume the 
RA I presidency in four years.  Mhita said no, there is no 
tradition of the vice president assuming the presidency, and 
that he has no concerns about the Zimbabwe representative 
being a RA I leader.  Mhita said the Zimbabwe meteorological 
agency is performing well, the infrastructure is in place and 
RA I leadership is not political. 
DELLY