VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDR #0735/01 1380833
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 180833Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6175
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0010
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0957
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0642
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 1064
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000735 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SWCI FOR BDOHERTY AND MICHAEL MORIN; IO/UNP FOR REBECCA 
GOLDENBERG; AF/E FOR BARBARA YODER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017 
TAGS: PREL UNGA ICTR TZ
SUBJECT: SHOWDOWN AT THE ICTR CORRAL: BENCH SPLIT REGARDING 
TRIBUNAL'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
 
 
Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Tulinabo Mushingi for rea 
sons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  On May 21, the judges of the 
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR, or the 
Tribunal) are scheduled to elect a President as the current 
term ends this month.  President Erik Mose wishes to serve a 
third term and proposals to amend the Rules to allow this are 
tabled for the May 21 meeting.  Judge Dennis Byron has 
announced his candidacy, opposes the Rules change on 
principle, and is one of four or five judges prepared to 
resign should the change be adopted and Mose re-elected. 
Resignation of any judge could affect the Tribunal's 
completion strategy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On Monday, May 21, the judges of the International 
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR, or the Tribunal) are 
scheduled to meet in plenary session where the permanent 
judges will "elect a president from amongst their number," 
per the Tribunal's Statute.  The judge-made Rules of 
Procedure and Evidence (Rules) of the ICTR, limit the 
Tribunal's president to two two-year terms.  President Erik 
Mose's second term concludes this month; however, Mose plans 
to run for a third term which would require the judges to 
amend the Tribunal's Rules. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Judge Charles Michael Dennis Byron of Saint Kitts 
and Nevis has expressed in writing an interest in serving as 
President, according to Barbara Mulvaney, Senior Trial 
Attorney, and Tim Gallimore (please protect), Spokesperson 
for the Prosecutor.  Byron opposes amending the Rules to 
allow Mose to serve a third term, Gallimore told Poloff on 
May 16, and a group of four or five judges, including Judge 
Byron, are prepared to resign on principle should the Rules 
be amended and Mose re-elected.  Gallimore declined to 
identify the other judges who are prepared to resign. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Susan Lamb, Chef du Cabinet in the President's 
office, confirmed there is another candidate and noted 
President Mose is "in a bit of a dilemma" regarding the 
situation as usually the election would be discreet and kept 
between the judges.  Two proposals to amend the Rules to 
allow a third term as President have been tabled, according 
to Lamb, who said the proposals differ in terms of detail but 
assured Poloff the differences are aesthetic only.  Lamb said 
the judges were invited to consolidate the two proposals but 
had declined to do so.  Lamb confirmed a president would be 
elected May 21 regardless of the outcome regarding the 
proposed changes to the Rules, and expects discussion to 
involve issues of judicial continuity. 
 
¶5.  (C)  In response to Poloff asking if there was a possible 
compromise candidate, Gallimore said there was a long-shot 
candidate but that she had come from the Hague and brings a 
lot of controversy.  This description fits Judge Ines Monica 
Weinberg de Roca of Argentina who served as a permanent judge 
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former 
Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague from June 2003 to October 
¶2005. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Also on the agenda for May 21 is a proposal to 
change Rule 15bisD to allow a chamber to continue with two 
judges in the event a judge dies or is unable to continue to 
serve due to illness.  Lamb believes the judges are unanimous 
regarding the need to address this issue, but not unanimous 
as to how to address it, and emphasized the issue is tabled 
for discussion only. 
 
¶7.  (U)  NOTE:  The Rules state the President shall be 
elected by majority of the votes of the judges (9 of 16) and 
that if no judge obtains a majority, the second ballot will 
be of the two who obtained the most votes.  If the second 
ballot results in a tie, the judge with the longest tenure is 
declared elected.  An amendment to the Rules requires the 
vote of at least ten judges.  The Rules do not provide for a 
secret ballot.  END NOTE. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶8.  (C)  COMMENT:  The resignation of even one judge could 
impact a number of trials as most judges serve on more than 
one bench simultaneously.  Should several judges resign, the 
work of the entire Tribunal could come to a halt.  The 
President can have a great affect on the work of the Tribunal 
as the President appoints the Appeals bench (which is due to 
be expanded, possibly at the plenary session May 21) and the 
referral bench (which will decide the issue of referring 
 
cases to other jurisdictions, including Rwanda).  Both 
Gallimore and Mulvaney indicated to Poloff that the division 
of the bench regarding a third presidential term may be along 
racial lines, with black judges opposing the proposal.  END 
COMMENT 
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