VZCZCXRO5321
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0339/01 2170955
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050955Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1058
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1505
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0461

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000339 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E JKNIGHT AND AF/W ACOOK 
LONDON FOR PETER LORD 
PARIS FOR BKANEDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL OF COMPUTERIZED VOTER REGISTRY 
(LEPI) 
 
REF: (A) COTONOU 186; (B) COTONOU 124; (C) 08 COTONOU 802 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The GOB, political parties, and civil society are 
engaged in a fierce struggle for control of the Permanent 
Computerized Voter Registry (LEPI). In a climate of mutual 
suspicion, stakeholders are attempting to influence the composition 
and staffing of supporting committees. The group FORS LEPI (Ref C), 
a network of civil society organizations, wants representation in 
the Political Committee of Supervision (CPS), a 
government-controlled body in charge of monitoring the LEPI. 
National Assembly deputies are lobbying for representation on 
Communal Committees of Supervision (CSS) and the National Computer 
and Public Liberties Committee (CNIL). Technical and Financial 
Partners (TFPs) are funding the LEPI and working to secure synergy 
and timely implementation (Ref A). END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
PRESIDENT YAYI SEIZES CONTROL OF POLITICAL COMMITTEE OF SUPERVISION 
(CPS) 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2. On June 24, 2009, the fifteen members of the Political Committee 
of Supervision (CPS) were sworn in before the Constitutional Court. 
Members include two representatives of the Presidency, nine 
representatives of the National Assembly (deputies), the 
Administrative Secretary of the Permanent Administrative Secretariat 
of the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (SAP-CENA), and one 
representative each of civil society, the Bar Association, and the 
National Union of Magistrates. Of the fifteen designated members of 
the CPS, nine support President Yayi: his two representatives, four 
deputies of the coalition Force Cowry for the Emergence of Benin 
(FCBE), a deputy of the opposition party Renaissance du Benin (RB) 
(who has recently moved closer to President Yayi's camp), the civil 
society representative, and the Administrative Secretary of the 
SAP-CENA. President Yayi gained organizational control of the 
15-member CPS when two supporters and the moderate RB member were 
designated to form the CPS's three-member Steering Bureau. The 
Bureau consists of Epiphane Quenum as General Supervisor (RB 
deputy), Domitien N'Ouemou as the Rapporteur (FCBE member), and Lea 
Hounkpe as the Bureau's Secretary General (Administrative Secretary 
of the SAP-CENA). 
 
---------- 
THE MIRENA 
---------- 
 
¶3.  On July 10, 2009, the CPS began hiring personnel for its 
operational wing, the Independent Mission for National Extended 
Census or MIRENA (Ref C). MIRENA will comprise nine specialists in 
the fields of demography, sociology, statistics, cartography, 
planning, biometrics, election, and law.  MIRENA will be under the 
direct responsibility of the CPS. Members of the CPS are likely to 
squabble over the allotment of positions for MIRENA. 
 
----------------------------- 
PARLIAMENTARIANS NEGOTIATE... 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. National Assembly deputies are in dispute over the appointment of 
representatives to the National Computer and Public Liberties 
Committee (CNIL), a structure provided for by Benin's Protection of 
Personal Data Act (Ref C). Different parties are seeking control 
over the CNIL by obtaining a majority of representatives based on 
the political configuration of the parliament. Another test of 
strength in the National Assembly is the appointment of 
representatives to Communal Committees of Supervision (CCS), 
decentralized branches of the CPS in the 77 communes of Benin. 
 
----------------------------- 
...AND CIVIL SOCIETY CONTESTS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. On June 1, 2009, in a general assembly of representatives from 
the 77 communes of Benin, a civil society network, Group FORS-LEPI 
elected Orden Alladatin as the civil society representative to the 
CPS. FORS-LEPI notified the Ministry in Charge of Institutional 
Relations of the result of this election.  The Ministry promptly 
overruled group FORS-LEPI and elected Rene Tchibenou from Dassa, 
central Benin, as the civil society representative to the CPS. The 
GOB confirmed Tchibenou's appointment to the CPS by decree on June 
¶22. Tchibenou was sworn in on June 29. FORS-LEPI vigorously 
protested Tchibenou's appointment alleging the government had 
illegally appointed one of President Yayi's supporters to control 
the CPS. Alladatin is affiliated with the Key Force opposition 
party. Joel Atayi Guedegbe, a leading member of FORS-LEPI, has 
pointed out that Tchibenou attended and participated in the June 1 
 
COTONOU 00000339  002 OF 002 
 
 
civil society election of Alladatin.  On June 29, FORS-LEPI 
requested the Constitutional Court to cancel the June 22 government 
decree that had confirmed Tchibenou's appointment to the CPS. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
TFP'S WATCH LEPI IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. On July 9, UNDP convened a meeting with TFPs and members of the 
CPS to review the LEPI project. Post attended the meeting. Nardos 
Bekele-Thomas, UNDP Country Director, said that because of the 
political nature of the CPS, its members need to maintain a high 
level of cohesion in order to create a reliable and transparent 
LEPI. She reiterated the TFPs' support for LEPI. Bekele-Thomas 
stated that the UNDP would be managing the TFPs' financial 
contribution through a closely monitored "Basket Fund". She also 
announced that the TFPs, along with the GOB, the CPS, and MIRENA, 
will oversee the implementation process. If needed, the European 
Union and the UNDP will provide additional election expertise and 
training to enhance the technical capacity of MIRENA. The LEPI 
Steering Committee will be responsible for the strategic orientation 
of funds provided by the TFPs. The Steering Committee will comprise 
the President of the CPS, the European Commission's Chief of 
Mission, the UNDP Country Director, and representatives of the 
Ministry of Institutional Relations, MIRENA, and the TFPs. 
 
 
----------------------- 
THE BUDGET FOR THE LEPI 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. The draft project document for LEPI approved by TPFs includes a 
CFA 16.1 Billion (USD 33.5 Million) implementation process budget. 
TFPs financial contributions run as follows: GOB CFA 3.5 Billion 
(USD 7.3 Million); European Commission CFA 4.6 Billion (USD 9.6 
Million); UNDP CFA 240 Million (USD 5 Million); Belgium CFA 1.4 
Billion (USD 2.8 Million); Netherlands CFA 1.4 Billion (USD 2.8 
Million); Denmark CFA 1.2 Billion (USD 2.4 Million). The budget does 
not cover the running costs of the CPS or MIRENA, which will be 
funded by the government. Bekele-Thomas called on other partners 
like France, USA, Germany, and Canada to fill the 10 million USD 
budget gap. All TFP contributions are subject to separate agreements 
between the UNDP and the specific TPF, which have yet to be signed. 
Bekele-Thomas announced that the draft project document will soon be 
submitted to the government for approval. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. The TFPs are cautiously optimistic that the LEPI will be 
operational for the March 2011 presidential and legislative 
elections, and that funds will be well managed and directed. For the 
success of the project, the government, political parties, and civil 
society must manifest active commitment to the LEPI.  High levels of 
suspicion and mistrust surround electoral activities in Benin. 
However, UNDP experts reassure Post of LEPI's reliability, as its 
concept leaves very little room for electoral fraud. 
 
BOUSTANI