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O 311239Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7383
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000500 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/C 
STATE ALSO FOR S/USSES 
NSC FOR GAVIN 
LONDON FOR POL - LORD 
PARIS FOR POL -- BAIN AND KANEDA 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PREF PHUM CD CT
SUBJECT: CHADIAN ELECTORAL PROCESS:  FRANCOPHONIE PUSHES 
FOR BETTER IC ORGANIZATION 
 
REF: A. NDJAMENA 152 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 318 
     ¶C. NDJAMENA 458 
     ¶D. NDJAMENA 441 
     ¶E. NDJAMENA 410 
 
¶1. (SBU)   The representative to Chad of the Organisation 
Internationale de la Francophonie, Hacen Lebatt, called on 
Ambassador Nigro October 30 to express concern that technical 
matters including the question of whether to hold a biometric 
census risked setting back Chad,s electoral timetable. 
Lebatt, whose organization played an important and positive 
role in resolving earlier disagreements between the Chadian 
government and opposition over electoral preparations (Ref 
A-B), advised Ambassador that the biometric census issue did 
not seem to have been put to rest by President Deby,s 
announcement in Paris October 20 that legislative elections 
would go forward in 2010 and presidential elections in 2011 
without resort to biometrics.  Labatt pointed out that the 
August 13 Accords seemed to call for a biometric census, and 
that some opposition figures including Saleh Kebzabo had 
noted this, calling Deby,s pronouncement extra-legal. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  According to Lebatt, who has been consulting 
informally with members of the Independent National Electoral 
Commission (CENI) and Electoral Reform Committee (Comite de 
suivi; ERC) over the past week, some in the Deby government 
had concluded that a biometric census might indeed be 
necessary, and so were currently focused on how to do one as 
quickly and inexpensively as possible.  Others were hoping to 
rule out biometrics on grounds of cost, considering Chad,s 
current IFI-stipulated budgetary strictures.  Even a 
relatively simple biometric census might take two and a half 
years, which meant that those in the Deby administration 
eager to press on with elections were looking for a way out, 
whereas those -- including a number of prominent opposition 
figures -- interested in holding off on a vote that President 
Deby looked likely to win were calling for biometrics.  The 
CENI was now divided over the issue, said Lebatt, although 
the "electoral climate" on the ERC was relatively calm, as 
that entity pursued its civics education projects in the 
countryside. 
¶3.  (SBU)  Should the Deby administration conclude that it 
would have to undertake some sort of a biometric census, 
continued Lebatt, the soonest that legislative elections 
could occur would be mid-2011, right up against the 
constitutionally-mandated timing for the presidential vote in 
August 2011.  Deby of course hoped for a separation between 
the two contests, so that he could use the results of the 
first to establish a strategy for the second. 
¶4.  (SBU)  Meanwhile, both the CENI and ERC were consumed 
with their own financial troubles.  Neither body had the sort 
of budget or physical plant that it thought it deserved, and 
neither was familiar with procedures for international 
grant-seeking, Lebatt lamented. 
¶5.  (SBU)  Lebatt said he had concluded that representatives 
of the international community, consisting of the UNDP ResRep 
Falavigna and Ambassadors with observer seats on the ERC, 
should get together as a group to consider how to offer 
assistance so that the electoral process would not bog down. 
The first meeting would be hosted by the French Embassy on 
November 2.  He pointed out that the OIE was committed to 
consensus, and that points on which he thought there was 
currently consensus among members of the CENI and ERC 
included that renewed threats of electoral boycotts would be 
undesirable, as would dismissal or resignation of current 
members of the two bodies. 
¶6.  (SBU)  Lebatt said that some fixed circumstances -- such 
as constitutional provisions about electoral timing -- would 
have to be accepted as such.  Other seeming blockages might 
be resolvable through training or mediation.  Some processes 
(e.g., the activities of the CENI and ERC) could go along 
simultaneously, if disagreements persisted on which had 
authority for what, or how to sequence respective projects. 
Basically, the international community needed to work quickly 
and well if elections were to take place in 2010 and 2011. 
¶7.  (SBU)  Ambassador Nigro stressed that the U.S. sought 
credible, as opposed to  perfect, elections -- the 
legislative and municipal contests in 2010 and the 
presidential vote in 2011.  We wanted to avoid biometrics 
altogether, or if that were not possible, to pursue the 
 
NDJAMENA 00000500  002 OF 002 
 
 
simplest approach to a biometric census.  We agreed that the 
international community needed to speak with one voice so as 
not to exacerbate divisions within the Chadian body politic. 
COMMENT 
¶8.  (SBU)  We support the Francophonie initiative to increase 
international coordination on Chad's electoral process. 
Questions we hope to address at the November 2 meeting 
include whether and how to support the CENI and ERC, 
including financially; how to use our observer seat on the 
ERC most effectively, assuming that the body has reasons to 
continue to operate; what sort of public and/or 
behind-the-scenes strategy to pursue with respect to debate 
on the biometric census; whether and how to weigh in publicly 
and privately on electoral timing; how the IC can reach out 
in an organized fashion to the opposition and dissidents; how 
the IC can better help with public education prior to 
elections; and how the IC can help create a climate of free 
and fair debate in advance of elections, so as to encourage a 
free and fair vote as well.  It is worth noting that Lebatt's 
current academic interest -- he is a political scientist with 
considerable knowledge of Middle Eastern and African 
political systems -- is power-sharing, which he believes 
offers untried opportunities in both Africa and the Middle 
East. 
NIGRO