VZCZCXRO1563
OO RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHMJ
DE RUEHKN #0028 0650627
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 060627Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KOLONIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2224
INFO RUEHKR/AMEMBASSY KOROR 0309
RUEHMJ/AMEMBASSY MAJURO 0407
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RUEHKN/AMEMBASSY KOLONIA 2587

UNCLAS KOLONIA 000028 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM FM
SUBJECT: US FUNDED ELECTION OBSERVERS GENERALLY POSITIVE ON NATIONAL 
AND STATE ELECTIONS IN CHUUK 
 
REF: 3-5-09 EMAIL WEMHOENER-CUITE TO NEVILLE 
 
¶1.  (U) The East-West Center (EWC), through the Department's 
Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP), provided an Election 
Observation Mission (EOM) to the March 3, 2009 national 
elections for some Congressional seats in the Federated States 
of Micronesia.  Observers concentrated their efforts in Chuuk 
State, which conducts its State level elections at the same time 
as the national election in order to save money on some 
transportation costs.  The EOM Head of Delegation was American 
Samoa Congressman Eni Faleomaevega.  The EWC provided a draft 
"Preliminary Statement" by the EOM to Faleomaevega on March 4 
for review and release.  As of March 6, the EWC had not yet 
released the statement. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The draft statement concludes that the "APDP 
delegation is optimistic that the FSM Congressional and Chuuk 
State Executive and Legislative election on March 3 will reflect 
the will of the people of the FSM."  The draft statement 
highlights, however, that observers "noted some irregularities 
and procedural inconsistencies." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The EWC will draft a full report in the coming weeks 
detailing both positive and negative aspects of the March 3 
state and national elections.  As highlighted in the draft 
preliminary statement (Ref), the general consensus of the EOM is 
that the elections were successful.  National level staff, 
including volunteer poll workers, appeared better organized and 
prepared than their state election counterparts.  During the 
initial outbriefs with members of the EOM, the general consensus 
appears to be that outcomes of both the state and national 
elections will represent the will of the people. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Despite an overall positive outcome, there were 
isolated discrepancies in the electoral process, mostly at the 
state level.  One observer, for example, witnessed a state poll 
worker on Weno Island stuffing ballots.  The official ballots 
were photocopies and had no security features, such as a 
numbered series, making the identification of the stuffed 
ballots difficult at best.  On Tol Island, a regional National 
Election Supervisor told Econ/Conoff that he dismissed a poll 
worker two and half hours into balloting after complaints from 
voters that he was filling in ballots prior to distributing them 
to voters.  The supervisor added that the voters lodged the same 
complaint against state poll workers in the same area, but that 
he had no authority to intervene in the state electoral process. 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Observers also noted irregularities during the state 
ballot counts.  State officials counted ballots from the 
Faichuuk region in the Public Affairs Office on the main island 
of Weno.  (Note:  Peace Corps offices are co-located in the same 
building.  End Note.)  Difficulties included not knowing which 
part of the building to use, who to permit into the building or 
the compound, what instructions to provide the counters, and who 
the poll watchers were.  In addition, the local supervisor 
overseeing the count told Econ/Conoff that at least one poll 
location did not trust the officials transporting the ballot 
boxes and decided to use their own locks on their ballot box. 
The counters could not open the box.  When counting began, the 
supervisor opened two boxes and permitted poll workers to count 
the ballots from one box while poll watchers counted the ballots 
from the second box. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Although official results are not yet available, early 
indications are that the Chuuk Gubernatorial race will require a 
runoff, as no one of the three candidates won more than 50 
percent of the total vote.  Early counts have current Governor 
Wesley Simina holding a diminishing lead over challengers 
Gillian Doone and former Vice President Redley Killion.  Reports 
on who has the second most votes have changed multiple times 
through March 6.  Asked about the possibility of a runoff 
election, state election officials told observers that although 
a runoff was mandatory in the event that no candidate garnered a 
simple majority, they did not know how the state would fund such 
an effort, which would take place March 31.  Many of the 
officials (who were also state employees) commented that the 
state was likely not to pay them for the work done on the 
initial election due to a shortage of funds, much less provide 
funding for another round of voting.  Expenses must additionally 
cover cost of transport of poll workers and ballot boxes to 
Chuuk's many outlying islands, as well as voting sites in 
Honolulu and Guam. 
 
¶7.  (U) Comment:  Post appreciates the Department's efforts in 
funding and supporting the EOM to the FSM.  Post particularly 
noted DRL's Christopher Camponovo's strenuous work with FSM and 
EWC officials and his coordination with Post to assure the EOM 
was a success.  End Comment. 
 
HUGHESMK