VZCZCXRO7537
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #1245/01 3191520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151520Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1881
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 001245 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: PM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ELECTIONS DURING AMBASSADOR'S 
COURTESY CALL 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY.  (SBU) In the Ambassador,s initial courtesy 
call on the prime minister, Kouyate was relaxed and upbeat. 
He was optimistic about progress on elections and said that 
he expects the CENI decree to be signed before the end of 
November.  However, Kouyate noted that USG assistance for 
training to the CENI and for addressing the $19 million 
elections budget shortfall would be welcome.  In a separate, 
unplanned side meeting, the Ministry of Youth and Culture 
complained about his treatment during a recent visa 
interview.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate warmly welcomed 
Ambassador Carter in his office on November 14 for the 
Ambassador,s initial courtesy call.  Having already met each 
other in Washington when the Ambassador was the AF/W 
Director, Kouyate was noticeably comfortable and eager to 
engage in an open, friendly discussion.  Kouyate,s Chief of 
Staff, Mme. Macauley Alfia Diallo, and poloff also attended 
the meeting, which was followed by a brief, on camera press 
interview. 
 
------------------------------- 
CENI BEFORE THE END OF NOVEMBER 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Kouyate was optimistic about Guinea,s delayed 
elections and said that everything is moving forward.  He 
noted that with President Conte,s recent signature of the 
law authorizing the creation of the National Independent 
Electoral Commission (CENI ) see reftel), he expects the 
CENI decree, which approves the nominations of 25 CENI 
members, to be signed before the end of November.  Kouyate 
said he had talked to President Conte the day before and is 
sure that &everything will advance.8  He added that if the 
President does not sign the decree within a few weeks, 
Kouyate will sign it himself. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The prime minister emphasized that the elections 
cannot move forward without the CENI officially in place.  He 
acknowledged recent criticism with respect to technical teams 
from the European Union who came to Guinea to begin the first 
stage of the EU elections assistance project, but were 
prevented from conducting their mission because the CENI had 
not yet been established.  Kouyate said that failure to 
ensure CENI oversight of critical election processes could 
potentially open the door to disputes over election results. 
Kouyate added that he wants to ensure that the elections are 
free and fair ) &the best in Africa,8 he said. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
POLITICAL PARTIES READY, BUT CIVIL SOCIETY DIVIDED 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In response to the Ambassador,s inquiry about 
relations with the individual political parties, Kouyate said 
that the parties are not a problem and that they are ready to 
move forward on elections.  He noted that he had some 
difficulty with them previously when certain opposition 
parties could not agree on their CENI nominees, but that the 
problem has since been resolved.  However, Kouyate said that 
there are currently some difficulties with the unions and 
civil society, which he said are increasingly divided.  He 
added that he has been talking to them regularly in order to 
try and resolve some of the issues. 
 
------------------------ 
AREAS FOR USG ASSISTANCE 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Ambassador asked Kouyate what the USG could do 
to assist with elections, noting that some financial 
assistance has already been identified.  Kouyate said that 
training for the CENI is absolutely critical.  In addition, 
he noted that the Government of Guinea needs help addressing 
the $19 million elections budget shortfall, a figure that did 
not include CENI operating costs. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Kouyate also mentioned the military as an area 
where USG assistance could be particularly useful, especially 
with respect to equipment and training.  He added that with 
the GoG,s recent efforts to provide troops to ECOWAS, 
assistance is needed more than ever. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Before closing the meeting, the Ambassador 
encouraged Kouyate to consider his government,s public 
relations campaign, noting that Kouyate has several concrete 
accomplishments that should be more broadly publicized. 
Kouyate said he is working on it, but his main priority is to 
focus on successful results first and talking about them 
second. 
 
CONAKRY 00001245  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
---------------------------------- 
MINISTER OF YOUTH MAD ABOUT A VISA 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) While waiting for the meeting with the prime 
minister, the Minister of Youth and Culture, Baidi Aribot, 
entered the waiting room and told the Ambassador that he had 
a complaint he wanted to discuss.  Without even a cursory 
greeting, he launched into a twenty minute oratory regarding 
his treatment at the U.S. Embassy during a visa interview. 
The Minister complained that he had to wait for nearly 45 
minutes in the same room as all the other visa applicants. 
He said that he was not asking that U.S. law be applied 
differently to him, but that he should be treated differently 
because of his rank.  The Ambassador emphasized that the USG 
has strict requirements, but that he would review Embassy 
receiving procedures.  (COMMENT ) The overall tone of the 
meeting was decidedly negative.  USAID reports that at a 
separate function during which the Minister was supposed to 
participate, he showed up 90 minutes late, and once there, 
chastized the organizers for doing the event outside in the 
heat.  END COMMENT). 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Kouyate was relaxed and up beat about his 
government,s general progress.  He was eager to receive the 
Ambassador and had actually called a break to his cabinet 
meeting in order to do so.  As an initial courtesy call, the 
meeting went very smoothly, which bodes well for future 
meetings, which will focus on tougher questions and issues. 
END COMMENT. 
CARTER