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DE RUEHYD #0175/01 0511304
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P 201304Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9721
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000175 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CM PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S FOREIGN MINISTER CRITICIZES DIPLOMATS 
ON ELECAM 
 
REF: A. YAOUNDE 97 
     ¶B. YAOUNDE 87 
 
¶1.  (U)  On February 19, Cameroonian Foreign Minister Henri 
Eyebe Ayissi summoned the diplomatic corps to the Foreign 
Ministry to present the government's views on the newly 
established Electoral Commission (Elections Cameroon - 
ELECAM).  He detailed reasons why the international community 
should believe that ELECAM (heavily criticized for being 
filled with ruling party stalwarts) can be independent and he 
urged foreign partners to support the organization or at 
least show "self discipline" in not criticizing it.  He 
warned against international efforts to broker power-sharing 
arrangements and urged understanding of the African cultural 
and political context of what he saw as a major step forward 
in Cameroon's democracy.  The initial local media reaction 
has been overwhelmingly critical of Ayissi's event, depicting 
it as an insult to the diplomatic community.   End summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  ELECAM was sworn in on January 29 amidst significant 
controversy and widespread public distrust.  The U.S. and 
several other significant western Ambassadors did not attend 
the swearing in ceremony and post made it clear to the media 
and senior government officials that this was a conscious 
decision reflecting our dissatisfaction with ELECAM's 
partisan composition (ten out of twelve members are stalwarts 
of the ruling CPDM party) and its apparent lack of 
credibility among many Cameroonians.  Ambassador subsequently 
reiterated these points on February 16 in a high visibility 
interview on government-run CRTV. 
 
¶3.  (U)  On The European Union issued a statement deploring 
the partisan nature of ELECAM membership and urging ELECAM to 
prove it can be independent and impartial.  The UK High 
Commissioner, returning from a long absence, also recently 
criticized ELECAM's membership, saying the UK would not 
support the institution until it shows its ability to act 
with independence.  The new Dutch Ambassador also publicly 
criticized ELECAM in the past week, while EU contacts have 
told us informally that the EU is freezing anticipated 
funding for ELECAM. 
 
Foreign Minister Pleads for Support 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  In his February 19 speech, Ayissi affirmed that the 
creation of ELECAM was a historic step "on the path to 
improving our electoral system," combining responsibility for 
organizing elections with a charge to assure the 
"impartiality, objectivity, and transparency" required under 
law.  (Note:  all quotes are informal translations drawn from 
the French text.  The Ministry reportedly does not yet have 
an official English version of the speech.  End note.)  The 
January 23 rejection by the Supreme Court of a protest from 
the main opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) party means 
that "the debate on this subject can be considered 
definitively closed". 
 
¶5.  (U)  Ayissi stressed that ELECAM members had resigned 
from the ruling CPDM party and sworn a solemn oath before the 
Supreme Court to be impartial, meeting the law's requirement 
that ELECAM members not be members of a party.  ELECAM 
members must refrain from anything which would compromise 
their independence and dignity, he stated, and must not "seek 
or receive instructions or orders from any public or private 
authority."  He further insisted that ELECAM members must 
work well together to make the organization function and 
affirmed that their independence was vouchsafed by the fact 
that they cannot be sanctioned or arrested for their opinions 
and, except if they commit certain kinds of crime, cannot be 
brought to court during their tenure.  No authority, not even 
the President, can remove them from office, except for in 
exceptional cases of physical or mental incapacitation or if 
they have violated their oath.  He affirmed the government's 
commitment to adequately fund and support ELECAM.  Releasing 
final election results remains the prerogative of the 
Constitutional Council and judiciary, the Foreign Minister 
said. 
 
¶6.  (U)  The Foreign Minister thanked the international 
community for supporting the process of creating ELECAM and 
appreciated that some diplomats were present at the swearing 
in ceremony for ELECAM members.  He asked foreign missions to 
respect Cameroonian institutions and affirmed that President 
Paul Biya had committed "to create adequate conditions to 
assure the independence of ELECAM, in accordance with the 
spirit and letter of the law." 
 
YAOUNDE 00000175  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U)  Ayissi requested that foreign partners take a 
"positive and reasonable" approach to ELECAM, either through 
tangible assistance (financial, material, logistical, 
technical) and/or through "exerting self-discipline" in not 
discrediting national institutions "because they do not 
conform to dominant political or cultural models" - what he 
termed "a new form of the civilizing mission (mission 
civilitrice)".  ELECAM is empowered to enter into foreign 
collaborations but needs to keep the government informed, he 
added. 
 
¶8.  (U)  He urged foreign partners to respect the results of 
elections.  Referencing other African experiences, he urged 
the international community to abstain from rejecting 
election results with the hope of negotiating a power sharing 
arrangement, under the supervision of foreign governments or 
international facilitators.  This latter "apocalyptic" 
solution would amount to an unacceptable "partition of the 
state". 
 
¶9.  (U)  The Foreign Minister concluded by underscoring the 
importance of trust, self-discipline, civic education, and 
"dialogue in the consolidation of our democratic culture". 
He quoted a number of African proverbs to stress the need for 
tolerance of different ways and speeds toward common goals, 
keeping in mind the historical and cultural contexts of 
African states. 
 
Media Reaction 
-------------- 
 
¶10.  (U)  The local media was at the event in large numbers 
and gave it wide coverage in the February 20 press.  The 
independent press overwhelmingly depicted the event as an 
insult to the diplomatic corps, which had to stand in a 
hallway during the hour-long speech, with no opportunity for 
dialogue.  Some press stories noted that diplomats did not 
want their pictures taken with the Foreign Minister, with 
some Ambassadors leaving early or looking dismayed.  The 
media criticized the Foreign Minister's lecturing tone and 
speculated that much of the dip corps was annoyed.  Some 
papers hoped the diplomats would respond formally.  One paper 
reflected on the irony of Ayissi urging the international 
community to refrain from criticism while asking for their 
money.  The government-owned Cameroon Tribune, not 
surprisingly, proclaimed that the Foreign Minister had 
"reassured" the diplomatic corps about ELECAM and Cameroon's 
democratic path. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Ayissi visibly seemed to want to win over 
diplomats with this speech and he couched the event in the 
context of a New Year's greeting.  However, the staging of 
the event undermined the message.  We expected the Foreign 
Minister to react strongly to criticisms of ELECAM (he has 
lectured individual Ambassadors in the past on several 
occasions about not meddling in internal affairs).  As the 
media pointed out, though, the format of the event alone - 
summoning the entire dip corps (including many who had not 
spoken out about ELECAM), having them stand for an hour in a 
hall while the Minister delivered a 14-page speech in French 
(with no English translation on hand), in front of a bevy of 
media -- left many in the audience (including our Ambassador) 
angry and annoyed.  Several European Ambassadors had health 
problems and found the event physically taxing. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Delivery and staging aside, the message was well 
structured and reasoned but largely unconvincing.  Despite 
Ayissi's arguments, President Biya retains wide scope to 
change or manipulate the law or institutions to get his way 
with ELECAM.  The Foreign Minister's remarks rejecting some 
kind of internationally brokered power-sharing were 
particularly bizarre and may reflect a real concern about the 
international legitimacy of future elections and the 
implications for domestic stability. 
 
¶13.  (SBU)  It is not at all clear how much Ayissi was acting 
on his own and how much (and from who) he was taking orders, 
both on the format and the substance of the event.  It is 
clearer, though, that our and other international criticism 
has gotten the government's attention and that the 
overwhelmingly negative press coverage will further weaken 
the government's cause.  One positive outcome of the speech 
is that Ayissi has put the GRC on record committing to make 
ELECAM work effectively and independently, with an adequate 
budget and needed government support -- which the 
international community can use as leverage as we observe 
 
YAOUNDE 00000175  003 OF 003 
 
 
ELECAM take shape. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GARVEY