VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0911 2871933
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141933Z OCT 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7348
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN PRIORITY 1658
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA PRIORITY 1583

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000911 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY IV LI
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE ELECTIONS TO BE DELAYED; COUNCIL 
MEMBERS REQUEST UNOCI EXIT PLAN 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) SRSG 
Choi told the Security Council on October 13 that elections 
would be delayed for political and technical reasons, and 
said the priority must be approving the provisional voters 
list as soon as possible.  Choi said the 2.7 million names 
not on the voters list were a great concern.  Ambassador 
DiCarlo stressed that support for UNOCI from the UN Mission 
in Liberia was only available until February, 2010, at the 
latest.  France, the UK, and Japan called for a withdrawal 
plan for UNOCI.  Russia called the Group of Experts 
ineffective and its reports biased.  Choi concluded by 
requesting another Presidential Statement to urge parties to 
hold elections. END SUMMARY. 
 
CHOI: AN ELECTION DELAY IS INEVITABLE BUT WORTH IT IF THE 
LIST IS CREDIBLE 
 
¶2. (SBU) During closed consultations on October 13, UNOCI 
SRSG Choi said elections are "almost there," but warned the 
current November 29 date was not realistic due to political 
and technical reasons.  He stressed it was most important to 
have a credible electoral list, and to ensure this it was 
worth delaying elections, possibly until January, 2010. 
(NOTE: In a private meeting with Ambassador DiCarlo on 
September 29, Choi said elections might need to be delayed 
until March, 2010. END NOTE.)  He cautioned that a longer 
delay could signify a lack of political will, and said the 
challenges to reunification, including disarmament and 
integration in the north, could still hamper the peace 
process. 
 
CHOI NOTES CONCERN OF 2.7 MILLION NAMES NOT ON VOTERS LIST 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Choi cautioned that an agreement must be reached 
soon regarding the 2.7 million names, roughly 40 percent of 
the voting population, which were currently not on the voters 
list.  He said the appeals process for the list must be of a 
limited duration, and that the north needs a functioning 
judiciary to hear appeals.  Choi called on all Council 
members to apply bilateral pressure on Cote d'Ivoire to 
respect the (as yet undisclosed) new electoral calendar. 
 
U.S. STRESSES UNMIL AVAILABILITY IS LIMITED 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo said the U.S. is frustrated by 
the challenges to the electoral timeline and noted with 
concern the repeated delays in holding elections.  She 
stressed that the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) would not be 
able to offer support to UNOCI after February, 2010.  DiCarlo 
also expressed concerns over the recent violations to the 
arms embargo and diamond ban. 
 
MEMBERS CALL FOR UNOCI DRAWDOWN PLAN 
 
¶5. (SBU) French PR Araud said that Cote d'Ivoire PR Djedje 
told him on October 12 that elections would be held "in 
2009," citing December 27 as a potential date.  The UK called 
for an updated timeline so that the Council could track 
progress towards elections.  France, Japan, and the UK 
requested the UN to report on the withdrawal plan for UNOCI. 
Both the UK and France requested a technical assessment 
mission be sent to Cote d'Ivoire before the January 2010 
mandate renewal period. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Uganda and the UK expressed concern over premature 
elections and the threat they would pose to a sustainable 
peace.  Austria cited the importance of judicial 
effectiveness in the north.  Costa Rica, Croatia, and Austria 
all joined the U.S. in stressing the need to protect women 
against gender based violence. 
 
RUSSIA CALLS GROUP OF EXPERTS INEFFECTIVE 
 
¶7. (SBU) Russia said UNOCI needed to shift from a 
peacekeeping to a peacebuilding mission.  Russia also said 
the work of the Group of Experts (GOE) must be substantially 
improved, and that the GOE reporting was biased and 
ineffective .  Russia looked forward to discussing further 
how to improve the role of the GOE. 
 
CHOI REQUESTS ANOTHER PRST 
 
¶8. (SBU) President Choi concluded by saying a presidential 
statement, calling on all parties to hold elections, would be 
of help. 
RICE