VZCZCXRO1867
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0137/01 0341519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031519Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2847
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000137 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/E 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO KDEM SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION LEADERS SAY ELECTIONS WILL 
TAKE PLACE IN 2009 
 
REFS: A. 08 KHARTOUM 1701 
¶B. 08 KHARTOUM 1685 
¶C. 08 KHARTOUM 1531 
¶D. 08 KHARTOUM 1522 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  National Electoral Commission (NEC) Chairman Abel 
Alier and Deputy Chairman Abdalla Abdalla told CDA that the NEC's 
first priority is to get the Southern Sudan and state electoral high 
committees up and running so that they can carry out critical 
electoral work at the state and regional levels.  In accomplishing 
this responsibility, the NEC will rely on support from international 
donors to fund the committees' transportation and communication 
needs.  The NEC leaders also said that they intend to focus on the 
civic and voter education as a top priority.  Chairman Alier said 
that elections will happen in 2009, but said that the NEC will 
identify obstacles to the process before determining a specific 
date.  Alier and Abdalla said that the Presidency has given them 
assurances that the NEC will be able to act truly independently to 
carry out free, fair and transparent elections.  END SUMMARY. 
 
GOOD FIRST SIGNS FROM THE NEC LEADERSHIP 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2. (U) CDA Fernandez met with National Electoral Commission (NEC) 
Chairman Abel Alier, Deputy Chairman Abdalla Ahmed Abdalla, and 
Secretary General Galal Mohamed Ahmed on 1 February to formally 
congratulate them on their appointments to the Commission and 
express USG support for the Sudanese electoral process (ref B).  CDA 
told the Commissioners that the US intends to "do its part" to 
support the Sudanese electoral process and mentioned that USG 
support to the electoral process will be roughly USD 95 million in 
various categories. Chairman Alier told the CDA that the NEC looks 
forward to cooperating with the USG in this regard. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Alier informed CDA that Commission members are currently 
drawing up two budgets; one will cover the operating expenses of the 
Commission and the other will cover the expenses of the electoral 
process itself. He remarked that the budget could be a "determining 
factor of success or failure" in the case of an exercise such as the 
elections, but assured the CDA that he and his fellow Commissioners 
have already been working both with the Presidency and the Ministry 
of Finance on budget figures.  Alier said that as soon as a budget 
is approved, the NEC would make budget shortfalls known to the 
international community so that critical gaps could be covered. 
[Note:  The Government of Sudan (GoS) delayed provision of financial 
support to the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Southern Sudan 
Center for Census and Statistical Evaluation which resulted in 
significantly delaying the conduct of the census in 2008.  The 
international community fears that the GoS might deliberately employ 
the same delayed-funding tactic in order to delay national 
elections, althouGh tjere ere signsthAt!tje GoS would0liketom/vemQ 
fm2arlgnmmuaymsco/ndr 2atyrthqn@lTcr. Ub8J|YQ 
DHQ"}FWW|Gp8MNMUE"(0'!M&8'88n )e&QQ*% 
Q4-*).K?hafQG(Qk|!amQQrW>HaDdqaEhnEQear that the NEC will "empower" state electoral committees to do 
critical electoral work. To achieve this goal, the high committees 
will need communication equipment (computer systems, satellite 
phones, etc.) and transportation (particularly vehicles).  "We 
intend to make sure that the High Committees do function; they have 
many responsibilities and we need to make sure that they are not in 
need of anything," said Alier.  Alier said that the NEC would be 
asking for international donor support in this critical area. 
 
¶5. (U) Both Alier and Abdalla highlighted another top NEC priority: 
the need for voter and civic education.  "Voter education is very 
important from day one," said Alier. "Voters must be made aware of 
their powers," he continued.  Alier assured the CDA that the NEC 
will concentrate on voter education and that the program will be 
large and expansive.  "Voter education will not be ordinary meetings 
of small groups of people; it will be more than that," he declared. 
Abdalla pointed out that the younger generation has never voted 
before in a multi-party election and that the NEC needs the USG's 
assistance in the area of voter and civic education.  Abdalla also 
informed the CDA that the NEC had begun working on its electoral 
media strategy, and in doing so have hired the expertise of Ali 
Shumo, the Chairman of the Press Council.  The Deputy Chairman said 
that the NEC would look to the international community to assist it 
with outsourcing experts in specific fields from time to time. 
 
¶6. (U) The NEC Chairman made it clear that the NEC would determine 
the most critical electoral needs and present them to the 
 
KHARTOUM 00000137  002 OF 002 
 
 
international community for funding assistance rather than be told 
by international donors what to fund.  "We look forward to those who 
will give us assistance, but they must first ask us what is needed," 
said Alier.  "We are more interested in making sure equipment needs 
and voter awareness programs are funded" before things like 
workshops and study tours, he added.  The CDA agreed with Alier's 
approach and admitted that donor arrogance can be a problem. 
Fernandez said that the USG would work with the NEC to be creative 
in determining how best to support the electoral process and that 
such agreements could be made through open, sincere dialogue. 
 
PER THE NEC, ELECTIONS WILL HAPPEN IN 2009 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶7. (U) Chairman Alier told the CDA that "the NEC position [on an 
electoral date] is clear; given our task we must first define the 
obstacles that exist in conducing elections and only after we've 
done this can we make a decision" on when elections should be held. 
He explained that this is not the first time elections have been 
conducted amidst instability in Sudan.  Multi-party elections were 
conducted smoothly in Sudan in 1958, 1966, and 1986, sometimes 
amidst instability in certain parts of the country.  Conflict and 
post-conflict conditions meant that the national elections of 1966 
and 1986 were postponed in certain areas of the south.  The NEC 
Chairman made it clear that elections will go forward in Sudan even 
if there is instability in certain areas, such as Darfur. Deputy 
Chairman Abdalla pointed out that elections are taking place in Iraq 
right now even though it is not possible to have elections in three 
Iraqi states due to insecurity.  "Elections will be held and they 
will be held in 2009," said Alier.  CDA Fernandez acknowledged that 
over the course of Sudan's history, the country has a stronger 
democratic tradition than some of its neighbors, although that has 
not been true since 1989. 
 
NEC INDEPENDENCE 
- - - - - - - - 
¶8. (SBU) CDA Fernandez asked Chairman Alier and Deputy Chairman 
Abdalla if they felt that they had had been given private and direct 
support from the Presidency to carry out free, fair and transparent 
elections.  Alier admitted to the CDA that neither he nor Abdalla 
were particularly keen to take on their NEC leadership roles (refs C 
and D).  "In such a situation, people questioned our reluctance and 
listened to us," he said.  They had to ensure their cooperation with 
us, agree to their responsibility to finance free and fair 
elections, and guarantee that the Commission would be independent of 
all governments in Sudan, continued Alier. Deputy Chairman Abdalla 
noted that both he and Alier were independently and jointly told 
that the Presidency has "no other agenda" with the NEC than its 
"performance of independent, fair, and transparent elections."  CDA 
Fernandez responded that it was only right they be given that 
commitment from the GoS given that they have put their 
well-respected reputations on the line to carry out such an 
important task and "we hope you will have that independence." 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
¶9. (SBU) Both Alier and Abdalla are well-respected national figures 
that will no doubt work hard to bring about free and fair, 
transparent elections in Sudan to the extent that the GoS allows 
them to do so.  The Commission's priorities seem to be in exactly 
the right place, particularly given Sudan's huge size and the time 
constraints that they face if elections are to be held in 2009.  It 
is encouraging that the NEC leaders are planning for elections in 
2009 and they are wise to determine the challenges that lie ahead 
before suggesting any specific elections dates.  So far, the NEC has 
responded positively to the USG's intent to provide assistance to 
the electoral process in the areas of electoral administration, 
civic participation, and international observation.  As Alier noted, 
however, it will be important for donors to be flexible to the needs 
of the process as it moves forward. 
 
FERNANDEZ