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PP RUEHGI
DE RUEHGI #0042/01 0471726
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 161726Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1165
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0388
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0401
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0300
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0241
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0214
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0590
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0584
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0213
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0007
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA 0010
RHMFISS/AFRICOM
RUEHNJ/USDAO NDJAMENA CD
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1477

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000042 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C 
USUN FOR DMUERS 
PARIS FOR RKANEDA 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
NAIROBI  FOR AKARAS 
AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL 
INR FOR JPEKKINEN 
DRL FOR SCRAMPTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR CT
SUBJECT: CAR: PRESIDENT CUTS FUNDING FOR THE ELECTIONS AND ASKS THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO FILL THE GAP 
 
REF: BANGUI 0041 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Though the Central African Republic Government 
(CARG) promised USD 7.9 million for the upcoming national 
elections, President Bozize announced on February 2 that the 
CARG would only make USD 4.3 million available.  President 
Bozize then urged the United Nations Peace Building Fund (UNPBF) 
and other bilateral donors to bridge the final gap, but so far, 
the complete amount remains unfulfilled.  The lack of funding, 
time, and technical expertise have increased doubts about the 
feasibility of the projected April 18th election date.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) The United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) 
estimates that the elections will require an estimated USD 16.5 
million, of which only USD 12.6 million has been mobilized.  The 
current contributions to the two electoral budgets are: 
 
-- CARG Budget: 
-- CARG 2009 Budget -- USD 980,029 
-- CARG 2010 Budget -- USD 3.4 million 
-- France -- USD 285,714 
 
-- UNDP Basket Fund: 
           -- UNDP -- USD 760,000 
           -- European Commission (EC) -- USD 5.7 million (not 
available until late February at the 
        earliest) 
           -- UNPBF -- USD 1.5 million (This amount remains 
controversial. it is part of a larger security fund and 
negotiations still remain regarding its use for election 
security.) 
 
(NOTE: The 2005 CAR election budget was USD 9.5million.  END 
NOTE). 
 
¶3. (SBU) Despite a constitutional mandate to hold elections 
every five years, the CARG did not appropriate money for 
elections until late September 2009 when it set aside USD 2.2 
million in a budget addendum.  That amount was recently cut by 
the President to just less than USD 1 million.  Furthermore, 
although the 2010 budget includes an additional USD 5.4 million 
for the elections, the President reduced this amount to USD 3.4 
million.  Therefore, the total CARG contribution to the 
elections is now just USD 4.3 million, down from the promised 
USD 7.9 million.  It is not clear why President Bozize made the 
cuts, nor whether the international community will fill the 
funding gap. 
 
¶4. (U) The election funds are separated into two separate 
budgets - the CARG budget and a UNDP basket fund.  To manage the 
basket fund, the UNDP created a Steering Committee composed of 
representatives from UNDP, the UN Integrated Office in the 
Central African Republic (BINUCA), the Independent Electoral 
Commission (the President plus 5 designated representatives), 
the Minister of Interior, and representatives from the country's 
international technical and financial partners. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The delivery of the main contribution to the basket 
fund - USD 5.7 million from the EC - continues to face technical 
delays, reducing the Steering committee's influence over the 
process.  The EC earmarked these funds two years ago, and hopes 
to obligate the money by late February.  So far, the CAR 
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) only has access to UNDP's 
initial USD 365,000 contribution to the basket fund.  Without 
the promised EC contribution, the Steering Committee continues 
to sit idle, meeting only once within the last month. 
 
 
BANGUI 00000042  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) The IEC continues to request technical assistance from 
the UNDP, but because the basket fund sits empty, the Program 
only hired one of its seven proposed technical experts to work 
with the IEC.  UNDP officials lament that this limits their 
ability to influence the process as well.  With the elections 
only two months away, and considering delays in hiring 
international personnel, it is unlikely that most of the 
proposed technical experts will arrive before the scheduled 
election date. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: The CARG decision to cut its contributions for 
the elections is troubling, and symptomatic of a lack of concern 
to implement fully transparent and inclusive elections.  The 
delayed EC contribution to the basket fund negatively impacts 
the international community's influence over the CAR electoral 
process and leaves the IEC in desperate need of technical 
assistance.  Given the ongoing technical and political delays 
impeding the electoral process (Ref A), post is not optimistic 
that elections will take place on schedule.  END COMMENT. 
COOK