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R 021559Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9657
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000111 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C AND DRL 
LONDON FOR PETER LORD 
PARIS FOR ROBERTO KANEDA AND GREGORY D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL EAID CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON: USG SENDS MESSAGE ON ELECTION AGENCY 
 
REF: A. 08 YAOUNDE 1257 
     ¶B. YAOUNDE 0024 
     ¶C. YAOUNDE 0087 
     ¶D. YAOUNDE 0097 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Ambassador's decision not to attend 
the public swearing-in of the controversial leadership of 
Cameroon's elections agency (ELECAM) has caught the attention 
of the press, civil society, and the Government of Cameron 
(GRC).  The Ambassador had briefed the Prime Minister and 
coordinated with other donors (reftels).  In response to 
journalists, questions, Embassy spokesman explained the 
USG,s views on ELECAM.  The public reaction--in independent 
newspapers and on radio call-in shows--has been largely 
positive.  The Chiefs of Mission from the European 
Commission, the UK and Canada also stayed away from the 
event, but the European Union,s own statement on ELECAM has 
been delayed by French refusal to sign on to the tough 
language advocated by other EU partners.    END SUMMARY. 
 
 
A SHOTGUN CEREMONY? 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swore in the 
twelve ELECAM nominees in a January 29 ceremony that 
illustrated the GRC,s desire to minimize the controversy 
over Biya,s choice of ruling party stalwarts.  Scores of 
cabinet officials and senior government leaders were in 
attendance, and the GRC-owned Cameroon Tribune heralded the 
event with a one-word headline: "Irreversible."  The leading 
opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), 
boycotted the ceremony, protesting the lack of impartiality 
among its members.  Two prominent opposition leaders did 
attend:  Adamou Ndam Njoya, President of the Cameroon 
Democratic Union party, and Jean-Jacques Ekindi, Coordinator 
for the Progressive Movement party. 
 
 
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) As reported ref C, Ambassador called on the PM on 
January 27 to explain that the USG,s reservations about 
ELECAM made it impossible for her to attend the ceremony. 
She said the USG would make no public statement, but would 
respond to press questions, if asked.  At an unrelated event 
on the evening of the ELECAM installation, PDoff deployed 
Post,s talking points in response to questions from 
journalists (see para 8 for Post,s talking points.) 
 
 
BROAD PUBLIC SUPPORT 
FOR USG POSITION 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) A number of independent daily newspapers carried the 
Ambassador's absence at the swearing-in as headline news in 
their January 30 editions, and independent daily Le Jour 
printed PDoff's responses in full, under the headline: "We 
Are Disappointed in ELECAM."  The popular weekend call-in 
radio shows, dealt extensively with the Ambassador,s absence 
and the USG responses, with a minority, mostly members of the 
Biya,s own Cameroon People,s Democratic Movement (CPDM) 
party, arguing that the USG had no right commenting on a 
domestic issue like ELECAM.  The vast majority of independent 
participants and callers saluted the Ambassador,s decision 
not to lend credibility to ELECAM by attending the ceremony 
and expressed hope that other foreign missions would follow 
suit. 
 
 
DISCORD WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) As a result of the Ambassador,s efforts to forge a 
consensus among Western missions, the British, Dutch, 
Canadian and EU COMs also decided to not attend the ceremony. 
 Despite having told the Ambassador and EU colleagues that he 
would avoid the event, the French Ambassador attended the 
ceremony.  EU Missions agreed to a draft public statement 
expressing the EU,s disappointment with ELECAM, but Embassy 
contacts in the EU report that the French Embassy has 
repeatedly sought to neuter or scuttle the statement. 
 
THE COMMONWEALTH SHOWS UP 
BUT STAYS SILENT 
 
YAOUNDE 00000111  002 OF 003 
 
 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Stephen Omollo, Head of the Good Offices Section of 
the Commonwealth,s Political Affairs Division, led a 
technical team to Cameroon during the week of January 26. 
Omollo confided to the Ambassador that the Commonwealth 
Secretariat shares the prevailing view of ELECAM,s 
leadership as fatally not credible, but confessed the 
Commonwealth is still struggling to determine the road 
forward.  Saying that Zimbabwe had taught the Commonwealth 
the dangers of disengagement, Omollo said he expected the 
Commonwealth would refer Cameroon to the Member,s Committee 
for review sometime in March and that a public statement 
might be issued in February.  Despite Omollo,s private 
assurances that the Commonwealth was unimpressed with ELECAM, 
the GRC-owned media outlets covered the Commonwealth,s 
visit, and their lack of a public statement, as evidence of 
the Commonwealth,s "support" for ELECAM. 
 
 
COMMENT: LOOKING BEYOND ELECAM 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU)  We took the time to meet with GRC and civil society 
contacts and to consult with diplomatic colleagues before 
deciding that the best way to advance USG objectives for 
democratization was to avoid lending our credibility to 
ELECAM.  The GRC has yet to react, but we are hopeful they 
received our message: Biya may decide to shape Cameroon,s 
sovereign institutions at his whim, but the USG reserves its 
discretion to withhold its support from initiatives that are 
clearly not congruent with Cameroon,s ambitions for 
democratization.  For the moment, we intend to look beyond 
ELECAM and the broken promises of the current context to 
focus our efforts on cultivating the next generation of 
Cameroon,s leaders by engaging with promising organizations 
and individuals, especially outside the government.  We will 
nonetheless watch ELECAM, hoping ELECAM,s leadership will 
strive to gain through action the credibility that has thus 
far eluded them.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  BEGIN AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE TALKING POINTS ON ELECAM: 
 
-- The Embassy of the United States was not present at the 
installation ceremony for the members of ELECAM. 
 
-- ELECAM, as currently constituted, is not a step forward 
for democratization in Cameroon.  We chose not to attend 
the installation ceremony because we believe our time and 
energy is best spent in partnership with those who are 
advancing democratization in Cameroon, and we continue to 
have serious concerns about the makeup and perceived 
independence of ELECAM. 
 
-- We are disappointed that, given the amount of time taken 
by the government to appoint its members, the composition 
of ELECAM is not more broadly representative of Cameroonian 
society. 
 
-- To successfully discharge its duties, ELECAM must be 
viewed as reasonably credible and independent by the broad 
spectrum of Cameroonian society. 
 
-- We note that ELECAM's leadership is not viewed by many 
Cameroonians outside of the government or ruling party as 
credible or independent, which raises concerns about 
whether ELECAM will have the public credibility needed to 
fulfill its mandate. 
 
-- A credibly independent election agency, as was promised 
to the international community and the Cameroonian people, 
is critical to ensure that future elections in Cameroon are 
viewed as free and fair. 
 
-- ELECAM has been appointed and installed despite the 
concerns of many within Cameroon and the international 
community.  The burden now falls squarely upon ELECAM to 
take clear and decisive steps to demonstrate to 
Cameroonians that it is capable of acting with independence 
and credibility in organizing free, fair and transparent 
elections.  Failure to do so will call into question any 
election organized by ELECAM and will further undermine the 
confidence of Cameroonians and the international community 
in their results.  This would mark yet another missed 
opportunity to advance democracy in Cameroon. 
 
-- We have expressed these concerns directly to the 
 
YAOUNDE 00000111  003 OF 003 
 
 
government of Cameroon, and they were aware we would not 
attend today's ceremony. 
GARVEY