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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000233 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: OSCE/ODIHR RECOMMITS ELECTION SUPPORT TEAM TO 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
USOSCE 00000233  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The OSCE Office for Democratic 
Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expects to deploy a 
seven-person election support team to Afghanistan in advance 
of the November 7 second-round presidential elections.  The 
team will follow final election preparations, election day 
proceedings, and post-election procedures.  While smaller 
than the 20-person team deployed for the August 20 
presidential and Provincial Council elections, the team 
demonstrates the OSCE's continued commitment to free and fair 
elections and reflects our desire for the organization to do 
more in Afghanistan, an OSCE Partner state.  The text of the 
April 2, 2009, OSCE Permanent Council decision authorizing 
the election support team to Afghanistan is in paragraph 6. 
End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Building on past election-related activities in 
Afghanistan, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and 
Human Rights (ODIHR) expects to deploy a seven-person 
election support team (EST) to Afghanistan to assist with the 
November 7 second-round presidential elections.  The team 
will be in-country for approximately three weeks - arriving 
one week before the elections and staying approximately two 
weeks after - and will focus on election administration and 
the results process, in addition to working closely with 
domestic observer groups and international actors.  ODIHR 
will provide recommendations for strengthening future 
election processes in a report published several weeks after 
the elections.  Recommendations likely will focus on how to 
build sustainable structures for election organization, how 
to further improve the voter registration system, how to 
strengthen domestic observation, and how to create a stronger 
legal framework for elections. 
 
¶3. (SBU) ODIHR's seven-person team will include two experts 
who have been in Afghanistan following the post-August 20 
audit process.  The two have reported that Afghanistan's 
Independent Election Commission currently is reviewing a 
working paper prepared by ODIHR in late August to provide 
recommendations for a possible second-round presidential 
election. 
 
¶4. (SBU) ODIHR believes this small team is well suited to the 
situation, and has argued against a larger body.  ODIHR 
election experts note that the short time-frame makes it 
almost impossible to organize a larger deployment - 
particularly given security and logistical requirements - and 
point out that there is insufficient time to comply with OSCE 
regulations governing the recruiting and hiring of new staff. 
 (Some of the 20 experts who were part of the August team are 
unavailable or do not want to return to Afghanistan.)  They 
also note that newcomers would provide very little added 
value given their lack of familiarity with the situation, and 
could worsen the security burden.  In addition, ODIHR experts 
note that this team, in contrast to the August group, will 
not deploy to the field, and thus has no need for additional 
support. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment:  While smaller than the 20-person team 
deployed for the August 20 presidential and Provincial 
Council elections, ODIHR's seven-person team demonstrates the 
OSCE's continued commitment to free and fair elections and 
reflects our desire for the organization to do more in 
Afghanistan, an OSCE Partner state.  ODIHR involvement 
underscores the importance of democratic elections for 
furthering democracy, human rights, and security in 
Afghanistan, and complements the USG goal of helping Afghan 
election authorities conclude a credible election process. 
We will work closely with ODIHR both before and after the 
November 7 elections to ensure the deployment proceeds as 
smoothly as possible.  End comment. 
 
¶6. (U) Begin text: 
 
DECISION NO. 891 
ELECTION SUPPORT TEAM TO AFGHANISTAN 
 
The Permanent Council, 
 
Recalling the UN Security Council resolution 1868 (2009), 
which underscores the importance of the upcoming presidential 
and provincial council elections to Afghanistan's democratic 
development and which calls for all efforts to be  made to 
ensure the credibility, safety and security of the elections 
and for members of the international community to provide the 
necessary assistance, 
 
USOSCE 00000233  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Taking note of the letter by the Minister of Foreign Affairs 
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Dr. Rangin Dadfar 
Spanta, to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office of 22 February 
2009, inviting the OSCE to support the Presidential and 
Provincial Council elections in Afghanistan, 
 
Taking into consideration the status of Afghanistan as a 
Partner for Co-operation of the OSCE, which has an important 
impact also on neighbouring regions of the OSCE, 
 
Underscoring the importance of democratic elections for 
fostering democracy and human rights and for furthering 
stability in Afghanistan, and contributing to international 
efforts to combat terrorism, 
 
Taking note of Permanent Council Decision No. 622 of 29 July 
2004 on sending an OSCE Election Support Team for the 
Presidential elections in Afghanistan on 9 October  2004 and 
the recommendations issued by that Support Team on 18 October 
2004, 
 
Taking note of Permanent Council Decision No. 686 of 7 July 
2005 on sending an OSCE Election Support Team for the 
National Assembly and Provincial elections in Afghanistan on 
18 September 2005 and the recommendations issued by that 
Support Team on 6 October 2005, 
 
Taking into account conditions in Afghanistan, in particular 
the security situation, 
 
Decides, as an extraordinary measure, in response  to the 
specific request of the Government of Afghanistan, to send an 
election support team to be organised by ODIHR to assist 
government and international efforts on the Presidential and 
Provincial Council elections in Afghanistan scheduled for 
August 2009; 
 
Tasks the election support team to prepare a report, to be 
distributed to participating States, on the electoral 
process, based on its findings, including a set of 
recommendations to the Government of Afghanistan for 
implementation as appropriate in the post-election period, 
with a view to enhancing the conduct of future elections and 
improving Afghanistan's legal framework and procedures; 
 
Requests that the ODIHR closely co-ordinate with 
international and regional election monitoring and support 
missions in Afghanistan, including the United Nations 
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the European 
Union Observation Mission; 
 
Tasks the ODIHR to determine the appropriate size of the 
election support team, which is not to exceed 50 election 
staff; 
 
Tasks the Secretariat together with the ODIHR to conduct 
consultations with the Government of Afghanistan, 
international military forces and international actors, 
including the United Nations, in order to spell out clearly 
in the appropriate form and put in place the necessary 
security arrangements for the election support team; 
 
Expenses for the election support team will be covered by 
extrabudgetary contributions; 
 
This decision does not set a precedent for OSCE activities 
beyond its geographical area of responsibility. 
CHRISTENSEN