VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPC #0553/01 2071607
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261607Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8073
INFO RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2162
RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 3959
RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 8885
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0588

UNCLAS LOME 000553 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR GREG D'ELIA AND ROBERT KANEDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL TO KDEM
SUBJECT: TOGO: VOTER REGISTRATION LAUNCHES WITH SOME FLAWS 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Togo completed on July 22 the first week of voter 
registration to mixed reviews.  Representatives from six 
political parties have worked collegially during the week to 
administer the registration process, and there have been no 
allegations of fraud.  However, mechanical and logistical 
flaws have obstructed the process in some areas of the 
country. Nonetheless, with registration underway, public 
anticipation of a new election date is high.  Although the 
Independent National Election Commission (CENI) announced 
that it would recommend the new election date after 
evaluating the first week of registration, it has yet to 
release new information about an election date.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. Togo launched its voter registration on July 16, following 
a July 11 decree issued by the Minister of Territorial 
Administration establishing a one month registration period 
between July 16 and August 17.  The registration scheme, 
designed by the CENI, divides 29 of Togo's 30 prefectures 
into two registration zones, with zone A using the first two 
weeks of the month (July 16-29) to register voters.  The 
registration kits, which Togo has borrowed from the 
Democratic Republic of Congo, will then be moved from zone A 
to zone B for the final two weeks of the process (August 4 - 
17). The remaining prefecture, Golfe, as well as Togo 
Commune, will receive separate kits for use during the first 
two weeks of the period. 
 
¶3. Each registration kit includes a laptop computer, camera, 
printer, small generator to charge the laptop battery (Togo 
is experiencing severe power cuts nationwide), CDs, printer 
paper, card lamination materials, pens, and several forms 
used to document the process. After each voter's information 
is entered into the computer, it produces a card with the 
voter's name, photo, birth date, I.D. number, and a 
computerized scanning strip. The voter card is delivered to 
its owner on the spot. 
 
¶4. Each voter registration station is staffed by computer 
operators (although in some cases, only one operator has 
shown up to work) and by a Voter List and Card Committee 
(CLC).  The CLC consists of seven political party 
representatives, two from the RPT and one from each of five 
opposition parties (UFC, CAR, CDPA, PDR, and CPP).  These 
party representatives work together to set up each site at 
7am and close it down at 4pm each day, seven days a week. 
The CLC also ensures that the registration process conforms 
to the provisions of the Electoral Code, signs each voter 
card, and writes a report at the end of each day documenting 
the day's activities. 
 
¶5. The first week saw no allegations of fraud, and CLC 
members cooperated well to administer the station.  In 
addition, kit technicians were readily available to repair 
minor technical problems with equipment.  However, mechanical 
and logistical flaws at some sites obstructed the process. 
Some of the insufficiencies reported were as follows: 
 
-- Delay in Deployment of Kits: At some sites, particularly 
in the South, kits were not delivered until mid-morning on 
the first day of registration.  At other sites, they were not 
delivered until the second day.  As a result, some stations 
were not fully operational until the third day of the 
official registration process. CENI Vice President James 
Amalgo explained that the delay was caused by the fact that 
some kits were used until the Saturday before the 
registration began to train the computer operators.  Before 
being deployed to registration centers, these kits needed to 
be reinitialized, he said, a process that took longer than 
expected. The CENI has said that it is prepared, if 
necessary, to extend the registration period by a day or two 
to make up for the delay. 
 
-- Lack of Payment for CLC Members: Some CLC members at sites 
have threatened to strike if their payment issues are not 
resolved. CLC members were promised per diem for travel 
during their pre-election training as well as a salary of 
2000 CFA ($4) per day.  However, none of them have received 
any money.  In addition, CLC members have asked the CENI for 
a salary increase, requesting salaries comparable to the 
daily 5000 CFA ($10) payment that computer operators at each 
site will receive. In response, the CENI has issued a 
communiquQ asking prefets to send the names of the CLC 
members in their prefectures to the CENI in order to expedite 
payment. 
 
-- Movement of Equipment Without CENI Approval: The CENI has 
pre-assigned each computer to a specific registration site. 
Reportedly, some administrators have haphazardly moved 
computers from one site to another, disrupting the CENI's 
tracking system. Computers were moved to accommodate sites 
with computers that had problems and is not associated with 
any attempted obstruction of the registration process. 
 
-- Lack of Fuel: Some registration sites reported that their 
generators ran out of fuel and that CLC members had to pay 
for fuel themselves.  The CENI has responded by clarifying 
that the generators, which were meant for charging the 
computer battery, were improperly used to operate the full 
kits for hours at a time, resulting in a shortage of fuel. 
 
-- Misunderstanding about Lome Resignation Period: Lome's 
registration closes at the end of the first two weeks of the 
registration period, but some citizens had believed, and some 
likely still believe, that Lome would be open for 
registration for a full month.  The misunderstanding is due 
to weak awareness-raising about the procedure in Lome and 
could result in low turn-out at Lome sites if corrective 
measures are not taken. 
 
-- Lack of awareness about I.D. requirements: The media and 
public have criticized the CENI for not adequately 
advertising the fact that citizens do not need identity 
documents to register.  Some sites have attributed their low 
turn out to this fact.  Togo's Electoral Code allows a 
prospective voter to register without identity documents if a 
traditional chief or two witnesses are able to verify the 
voter's identity. 
 
-- Missing equipment: Other complaints included missing or 
stolen printer cartridges, CD, pens, and other kit items at 
some sites. 
 
¶6. Embassy Lome organized it's own internal registration 
observation effort, deploying four teams of Embassy personnel 
to separate geographic areas in the Maritime region.  Over a 
three day period (July 18-20), the teams confirmed that the 
problems reported by the media and public listed above did 
exist at many of the sites visited.  In addition, Embassy 
observers discovered other concerns.  Some of the sites, for 
example, had produced voter cards with blurry or dark 
photographs.  At these locations, some registration 
administrators said they would contact the individuals 
registered to re-issue their cards.  The poor quality photos 
resulted, in large part, from the lack of adequate light at 
the sites, which are all school rooms. Moreover, the Embassy 
team noted that sites in remote villages were experiencing 
low turn-out.  Several site administrators told Embassy 
personnel that this was probably due to a lack of 
awareness-raising in these areas about the registration 
process.  In addition, in zone B areas, where registration 
will begin in one week, residents were unaware of the 
registration process. Moreover, in these areas Embassy 
observers did not see CENI posters or other signs of 
awareness-raising efforts.  The Ambassador, who observed some 
of the sites himself,  shared the findings of Embassy 
observation teams with the CENI at meetings on July 19 and 
July 23.  At both of these meetings, the CENI engaged the 
international community in discussions about how to find 
solutions to the flaws apparent at the start of the 
registration process.  On July 20, the CENI issued public 
notices that were broadcast and published widely and 
addressed the following shortcomings: the lack of awareness 
about I.D. requirements; misunderstandings about the Lome 
registration period; lack of payment for CLC members; the 
movement of kits without CENI approval; and the technical and 
mechanical flaws observed during the start of the 
registration period.  An additional CENI public notice 
released on the same day underscored the rule that CLC 
members at registration sites can be replaced only at the 
specific request of their political party. 
 
¶7.  COMMENT: The registration problems have been most 
apparent in the Lome region, where the logistical challenges 
are greatest because of the large population concentration. 
Lome is also where the opposition has its heaviest 
representation, thus raising suspicions of foul play.  It 
will be important for the GOT and the CENI to take pro-active 
measures to address the registration problems as the upcoming 
elections are the centerpiece of the ongoing reform process. 
END COMMENT. 
DUNN