VZCZCXRO6178
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0281 1242003
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 042003Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1024
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 0011

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000281 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SL
SUBJECT: ELECTION DATE SLIPS AS PARLIAMENTARY PENSIONS 
PREVAIL 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas N. Hull for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (SBU) While there has yet to be an official announcement, 
Embassy Freetown has learned that the Government of Sierra 
Leone (GoSL) intends to delay the upcoming Parliamentary and 
Presidential elections from July 28 until on or shortly after 
August 11. National Electoral Commission (NEC) Chair Dr. 
Christiana Thorpe reportedly met with President Kabbah and 
Speaker of Parliament Justice Edmund Cowan on the evening of 
May 3 to discuss a new date for the elections. An official 
announcement is expected soon, possibly as early as May 4. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) There had been widespread speculation that the GoSL 
would make such a move in response to mounting pressure from 
members of Parliament. In order to receive a lifetime monthly 
pension amounting to one million Leones (approximately USD 
333) Parliament members must serve a full five-year term. If 
Parliament were dissolved before June 25, current members not 
seeking re-election would miss out on this benefit, since the 
Parliament would not have sat for a full five years. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Many Parliamentarians have indicated they will not 
seek re-election due to what some believe is their 
unwillingness to be held accountable by constituents under 
the new constituency-based system. Other Parliamentarians who 
are seeking re-election are likely to be voted out of office 
because of their poor service records and inability to draw 
constituency support. In November 2006, Parliament accepted a 
NEC report recommending that elections be constituency-based. 
Previous elections since 1996 were based on proportional 
party representation, which enabled many party stalwarts to 
be elected to Parliament for their party loyalty. 
Parliamentarians were assigned constituencies after 
elections, and many never visited them. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On May 4, the NEC met with political parties' 
representatives and proposed August 11 as the new election 
date. The NEC apparently voiced its concern that, in order to 
follow constitutional elections guidelines, it would not have 
sufficient time to adequately prepare between the June 25 
date when President Kabbah intends to dissolve Parliament and 
the originally selected July 28 election day. There are 
significant logistical challenges. Parties have to submit all 
parliamentary candidates to the NEC by June 1. Subsequently, 
candidates have to be vetted and validated by the NEC as 
registered voters. Ballots then need to be printed outside 
the country and distributed to often remote polling stations. 
Consequently, the NEC apparently realized that holding 
elections on July 28 was simply unrealistic. Observers have 
commented that political parties' representatives voiced only 
mild disappointment with the postponement. 
 
¶5. (SBU) NEC Chair Dr. Thorpe said that the presidential 
elections must be held before August 14 to uphold 
presidential electoral constitutional requirements. Since 
August 11 is a Saturday (as was July 28), it appears that it 
would be the logical date to allow sufficient time to meet 
the logistical needs, while respecting constitutional 
strictures. If a run-off presidential election becomes 
necessary (55 percent is required to win in the first round), 
it would most likely be held on September 8. 
 
¶6.  (C) COMMENT: Most observers and donors have generally 
been satisfied with the pace and conduct of election 
preparations, including the registration process. This latest 
news appears to be the first real hiccup in the process. UN 
Executive Representative of the Secretary General (ERSG) 
Victor Angelo strenuously tried to persuade President Kabbah 
to dissolve Parliament early but was rebuffed in a tense 
meeting on May 2. Surprisingly, there has been relatively 
little opposition expressed to the postponement, although 
speculation abounds that this may be a ploy by the ruling 
SLPP to lengthen access to government coffers to fund 
campaigns. However, government coffers are reportedly empty 
as major budget support donors are freezing disbursements 
until after the election. Whether this is an overly cynical 
interpretation or not, the fact remains that the logistical 
constraints are real, given that Parliament is unwilling to 
dissolve before June 25. The main concern about the later 
date is that Sierra Leone will be deeper into its torrential 
rainy season increasing the difficulty for voters to reach 
polling stations on election day and for election materials 
to be delivered and retrieved over nearly impassable muddy 
roads or by UN helicopter due to low visibility. END COMMENT. 
HULL