VZCZCXRO6377
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0604/01 2891610
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151610Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3029
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CONAKRY 000604 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: GOG DEMANDS MORE DONOR SUPPORT FOR ELECTIONS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  A meeting between the GoG and the 
international community on elections quickly deteriorated 
into a heated inter-agency debate about elections funding, 
with harsh criticism aimed at the absent Minister of Finance. 
 The Minister of Territorial Administration and Political 
Affairs dominated the meeting, frequently cutting off other 
ministers, GoG officials, and diplomats in order to continue 
his oratory.  He assured the diplomatic community of the 
GoG,s political will to hold elections, essentially arguing 
that the only thing holding him back from doing his job is 
cash on hand.  The GoG requested international donor 
assistance to cover the $8.5 million budgetary gap for 
elections.  Although the meeting was chaotic, developments 
earlier this week suggest that the GoG is making some 
progress towards elections.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Minister of Territorial Administration and 
Political Affairs (MATAP) called an elections steering 
committee meeting with the international donor community at 
the last minute on October 10.  In addition to the MATAP 
minister, the ministers of Economic control, Justice, and 
Guineans Abroad, also participated in the discussion, which 
lasted for nearly three hours.  A senior representative from 
the Ministry of Finance was present, as were more than a 
dozen other GoG officials.  The National Independent 
Electoral Commission (CENI) sent a representative, but the 
CENI president, Ben Sekou Syllah, was not present.  The 
diplomatic community was represented by the UN Resident 
Representative, the EU Ambassador, the Special ECOWAS 
Representative, and the assistance coordinator at the French 
Embassy.  A/DCM and USAID Technical Office Chief attended on 
behalf of the USG. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Although the meeting was ostensibly called to 
discuss progress towards elections, it quickly became clear 
that the MATAP minister wanted to use the meeting as a 
platform to air internal GoG budgetary conflicts before the 
international community.  He started the meeting with a vague 
agenda, but then almost completely ignored the stated agenda 
for the duration of the meeting, despite attempts by his 
ministerial colleagues to get things back on track. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In his opening remarks, the MATAP Minister assured 
the international community that the GoG is absolutely 
committed to elections.  &You have no need to doubt our 
political will;8 he said, &it exists at every level, 
including the president and the prime minister.8  According 
to the minister, the GoG,s main stumbling block is elections 
financing, but emphasized that this problem would not deter 
the GoG from organizing elections.  &You will be convinced 
of our willingness to do this, and we will work together to 
hold elections,8 he promised. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Referring to the elections budget that had been 
distributed before the meeting, the EU Ambassador said that 
there was nothing new in the budget.  She emphasized that the 
GoG needs to develop a new elections timeline that details 
all of the necessary steps and projects target completion 
dates.  The Finance representative later echoed the same 
concern, as did several other participants.  However, the 
MATAP minister repeatedly claimed that the GoG is currently 
working on the timeline, but that funding continues to be the 
most critical issue. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The MATAP minister said that the GoG needs foreign 
assistance, but needs to have it &freely,8 so that his 
ministry can function effectively.  &You always say that you 
are going to help us, but you are only helping us with the 
second stage; we need to take care of the first stage before 
we get to the second stage,8 he said.  The UN Resident 
Representative responded by saying that the various stages of 
elections preparations are not mutually exclusive, and that 
activities from both stages can be completed simultaneously. 
&If you go stage by stage, you are never going to get 
there,8 she said. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) From there, the meeting quickly deteriorated into a 
heated 90-minute long inter-ministerial debate about funding, 
with occasional digs aimed at the international community. 
The MATAP minister dominated the discussion, often using 
expansive arm gestures and a raised voice.  He frequently 
silenced his ministerial colleagues, as well as the Finance 
representative, refusing to let them speak.  On at least 
three occasions, seeing that members of the diplomatic 
community were quietly whispering to each other behind their 
hands, the minister called their names and asked them to pay 
attention to the discussion. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) At one point, the minister said &that everyone has 
 
CONAKRY 00000604  002 OF 003 
 
 
a responsibility for these elections, including the 
international community, and all the funding needs to be put 
at MATAP,s and the CENI,s disposal immediately, not in 
small bits here and there, but everything at once.8  He then 
added &we will do our part so that the money goes where it 
is supposed to go.8 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Minister of Economic Control tried to get a 
word in several times, and then was finally passed the 
microphone.  He apologized that he had not received any 
information prior to the meeting, and was therefore not well 
prepared.  However, he said that the most urgent need is for 
the GoG and the international community to address the 
budgetary gap of $8.5 million.  &If we do not address the 
gap, the rest of this discussion is useless,8 he said. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The senior Finance representative agreed that the 
budget gap is a critical question.  Responding to criticisms 
from the Minister of MATAP on Finance,s failure to release 
budgeted elections funds, the representative said that 
Finance needs to see an elections timeline.  This comment 
seemed only to exacerbate frustrations as the MATAP minister 
launched into a critical oratory aimed at the absent Minister 
of Finance.  He said that the 2008 national budget, which was 
approved by the National Assembly and the president, clearly 
details how much money the GoG intends to spend on elections. 
 &There should be no conditions; the money belongs to 
MATAP,8 he said, adding that &another minister has no right 
to question what the money is being used for when it is 
clearly detailed in the budget.8  The other ministers 
quickly voiced their support for the MATAP minister,s 
comment.  The Minister of Justice added &the Ministry of 
Finance is not a state within itself.8 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The MATAP minister then proceeded to read a letter 
he had sent to the prime minister that week asking for the 
PM,s help in getting the funds released, which was followed 
by reading the PM,s response directing the Minster of 
Finance to turn over the funds to MATAP. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) When able to get a word in edgewise, the French 
representative said that it would be difficult to get 
additional assistance from France if key steps are not 
successfully undertaken, mentioning voter registration 
specifically.  Later, the UN Representative emphasized the 
importance of a consistent budget with concrete activities 
planned and then completed.  She also commented that there is 
a question of priorities since the GoG recently spent 
significant funds on the country,s 50th anniversary 
celebration, but that additional funds for elections have yet 
to materialize. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The Minister of Economic Control later said that 
he agreed that the release of funds is important, especially 
since the funds had already been allocated, but that there 
also needs to be some plan for spending the funds 
responsibly. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) The CENI representative was largely silent for the 
duration of the meeting until the MATAP minister finally 
invited him to speak towards the end of the meeting.  He had 
little to say other than to agree that funding was a 
priority, noting that &we cannot continue to work like 
this.8  According to the CENI representative, it was a shame 
that the prime minister and the minister of finance were not 
present at the meeting.  The MATAP minister told the CENI to 
write a letter detailing its financial needs and then offered 
to intercede with the PM to get the funds released. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶15.  (SBU) The meeting had most of the gathered diplomats 
exchanging questioning glances among themselves, and 
figuratively scratching their heads.  The MATAP minister 
essentially refused to talk about anything other than the 
budget, despite there having been several important issues to 
address.  Although he criticized the international community 
while demanding more support, he appeared more interested in 
using the meeting as a platform to bash the Minister of 
Finance, and to dramatically illustrate that the lack of 
funds is the only thing holding him back from doing his job. 
Despite the chaotic nature of the meeting and the apparent 
frustration of the donor community, the GoG has already taken 
concrete steps this week to move elections forward.  During 
an elections focal group meeting on October 15, the GoG 
reported that the Ministry of Finance had released budgeted 
funds to MATAP.  In addition, the voter registration campaign 
 
CONAKRY 00000604  003 OF 003 
 
 
was launched in Boke and Fria over the weekend.  END COMMENT. 
RASPOLIC