VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDG #1216/01 2871617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141617Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3589
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 5061
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 2023
RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU 1121
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 2988
RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 2287
RUMISTA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001216 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV CVIS PREL DR
SUBJECT: CENTRAL ELECTORAL BOARD PRESIDENT LOOKS FORWARD TO 
CONGRESSIONAL/MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, FAVORS CONSTITUTIONAL 
 
REFORMS AFFECTING HIS AGENCY 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
---------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  Central Electoral Board (JCE) President 
Julio Cesar Castanos Guzman, in a 10/9 meeting with Charge, 
said that he expects the May 2010 congressional/municipal 
elections to be "passionate," but within the JCE's 
capabilities to handle smoothly.  He also stated that 
digitization of Civil Registry records is moving forward at a 
steady pace.  Castanos and fellow JCE Magistrate John 
Giuliani said they support the proposed constitutional 
reforms that would split the JCE into separate institutions, 
one dealing with elections and civil registry issues and the 
other acting as an electoral court.  Castanos made a pitch 
for shifting some USAID funding from Participacion Ciudadana, 
which manages electoral observation missions, to the JCE's 
training school.  Giuliani, in turn, asked for technical 
assistance on absentee balloting/early voting to advise the 
JCE on incorporating similar practices.  Charge took note of 
the JCE officials' requests and said we would consider them. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Charge, accompanied by A/DCM, PolEcon Counselor and 
USAID Democracy Officer, paid a courtesy call on JCE 
President Castanos on 10/9.  Castanos was accompanied by 
Magistrate Giuliani, who serves on the JCE's Chamber for 
Dispute Resolution (which deals with electoral disputes and 
legal issues; the Administrative Chamber deals with Civil 
Registry matters and organization of elections), and JCE 
Chief of Protocol Ambassador Alejandro Vicini. 
 
--------------------------------- 
CONGRESSIONAL/MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  With the congressional/municipal elections only 
seven months away, the JCE has its work cut out for it, 
Castanos stated, but is up to the task of overseeing free and 
fair elections.  With the constitutional reforms expected to 
increase the terms of senators and deputies from four to six 
years for the 2010 elections -- from 2016 onwards they will 
revert to four year terms so that congressional and 
presidential terms run concurrently --, he cautioned that the 
usual "passionate" Dominican election campaigns will become 
"even hotter."  He has two main concerns.  First is the 
possible misuse of government resources, which he 
acknowledged was a problem in the 2008 presidential election. 
 However, he thought this would occur less in 
congressional/municipal races than in a presidential 
campaign.  Second, Castanos is worried that tight races in 
small provincial districts will be potential powder kegs, as 
charges of misbehavior and fraud will be more likely where 
the contestants are separated by only a few votes in 
situations where oversight is weak.  Nonetheless, he 
declared, this was nothing the JCE has not had to deal with 
before and which it can handle again. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  In addition, Castanos was confident that the JCE 
will be able to announce the congressional and mayoral 
results the evening of election day.  He thought it would 
help if the voting period, which starts at 6:00 a.m., could 
terminate at 5:00 p.m. rather than 6:00 p.m.  Giuliani 
explained that the Actas (vote tally sheets) from all 12,000 
voting locations will be scanned and e-mailed to the JCE 
election authorities and to all political parties, which will 
facilitate this process. 
 
---------------------------- 
CIVIL REGISTRY MODERNIZATION 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The JCE is committed to modernizing the Civil 
Registry, Castanos stated, and has already entered over 20 
million fingerprints into the system and digitized 
approximately 80 percent of civil records.  This latter task 
has been complicated by the poor state of many of the 
original hand-written record books, which decay or even 
dissolve due to the tropical climate, poor storage and rough 
handling.  He recounted that his own records were in a book 
that "dissolved into dust;" luckily, Castanos added, 
 
duplicate copies of many of these books exist, which enabled 
people like himself to be incorporated into the new Registry. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Another complication, Giuliani said, was due to 
problems with the JCE's USD 25 million information technology 
contract with the SOMO consortium.  SOMO, he explained, was 
not providing adequate software to meet its commitment to 
respond rapidly with complete registry records in response to 
the submission of a subject's fingerprints.  Consequently, he 
said, the JCE is withholding payment until SOMO performs. 
 
---------------------- 
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS 
---------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Charge inquired as to the JCE officials' views on 
the ongoing constitutional reform process, which appears 
heading towards splitting the organization, in accordance 
with its current division, into two separate institutions. 
Both Castanos and Giuliani expressed support for the reforms, 
saying that five of the other seven JCE magistrates agreed 
with them.  Giuliani, referring to a recent Chamber of 
Accounts audit that criticized the JCE's Administrative 
Chamber's handling of resources and purchases, complained 
that while the Administrative Chamber handles all of its own 
budgetary and spending matters, the entire JCE Plenum is 
tasked with responding to allegations of impropriety. 
 
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ASSISTANCE REQUESTS 
------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Castanos was highly appreciative of USG assistance 
to the JCE, observing that this aid contributed to developing 
his institution's capability to manage free and fair 
elections.  He suggested, given that such elections are the 
rule in the Dominican Republic, that some USAID funding could 
now be transferred from the civil society NGO Participacion 
Ciudadana (Citizens' Participation) to the JCE's National 
School of Electoral Formation and Civil Status (EFEC). 
Whereas in the past USAID helped Participacion Ciudadana 
deploy 4000 electoral observers, he argued, it could now 
safely reduce this to 2000 observers, thereby freeing up 
resources for better use.  (NOTE:  USAID does not have any 
funding set aside for election-related programs; its current 
funding for Participacion Ciudadana deals with transparency 
and justice reform oversight.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Giuliani expressed strong interest in having a 
U.S. expert, who has had experience dealing with Latin 
American electoral systems, provide technical assistance to 
the JCE on absentee balloting/voting by mail/early voting 
systems to help the JCE develop and incorporate such systems 
for the Dominican Republic.  Castanos agreed that this would 
be particularly useful in dealing with ballots cast overseas, 
particularly if the ongoing constitutional reform process 
results in a provision creating a congressional seat 
representing overseas voters.  (NOTE:  Currently Dominicans 
overseas cast ballots in presidential elections, but not in 
congressional ones.  END NOTE). 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Charge responded by congratulating the JCE on its 
achievements, expressing our satisfaction with having had the 
opportunity to assist the institution in consolidating 
democracy, and stating that we would consider their requests. 
 
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COMMENT 
---------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  The JCE is a strong institution with an excellent 
track record of ensuring free and fair voting and counting of 
ballots in recent elections.  It has advanced to such an 
extent, in fact, that USAID has discontinued funding 
election-related programs following the 2008 elections.  We 
share Castanos' confidence that the JCE is capable of 
carrying out successful congressional/municipal elections 
next year, and we share his concern that ruling coalition 
candidates will take advantage of their government positions 
and/or government resources to further their chances.  We 
will look into supplying a U.S. expert to provide technical 
assistance on absentee balloting/voting by mail/advanced 
voting, and will review Castanos' request for funding for the 
 
 
EFEC school.  END COMMENT. 
 
LAMBERT