US embassy cable - 03SANTODOMINGO7489

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SANTO DOMINGO 007489 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR-SMITH, WHA/PPC-NOYES, AND DRL/PHD-DAVIS 
STATE PASS AID 
NSC FOR SHANNON AND MADISON 
LABOR FOR ILAB 
TREASURY FOR OASIA-LAMONICA 
USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/WH/CARIBBEAN BASIN DIVISION 
USDOC FOR 3134/ITA/USFCS/RD/WH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DR, PGOV, PHUM, PREL 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTIONS #10: ASSISTANT SECRETARY 
NORIEGA MEETS ELECTION BOARD 
 
REF: A. REF: (A0 SANTO DOMINGO 7395 (NOTAL) 
 
     B. (B) SANTO DOMINGO 6379 (NOTAL) 
 
1. (U) Following is number 10 in our Dominican presidential 
election series: 
 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY NORIEGA PLUGS CLEAN ELECTIONS -- 
DOMINICAN ELECTION BOARD ASSERTS THEY WILL BE 
 
2. (SBU) Summary: Visiting WHA Assistant Secretary Noriega, 
with the Ambassador and other U.S. officials, called on the 
three presiding judges of the Dominican Republic's Central 
Election Board (JCE) December 11.  The Assistant Secretary 
expressed concern about low public confidence in the fairness 
of the presidential election process and said the USG stood 
ready to support the JCE's declared goal of ensuring free, 
fair, transparent, and clean elections, including funding for 
international election observers.  The judges acknowledged 
that democracy and the JCE's credibility were at stake.  They 
said logistical arrangements for the May 16 voting would be 
completed this month, and voting abroad would be possible for 
the first time.  The JCE was planning workshops for election 
officials and university training for poll workers, and was 
coordinating closely with political parties and civil 
society.  JCE President Luis Arias said international 
observers would be invited soon, and he welcomed public 
support and comment on the electoral process by diplomats in 
country.  Paragraph 11 repeats Embassy's request for funding 
of observers.  End summary. 
 
3. (SBU) Visiting Assistant Secretary of State for Western 
Hemisphere Affairs Noriega on December 11 met with the 
Dominican Republic's Central Election Board (JCE) Plenary 
presiding judge Luis Arias, Administrative Chamber presiding 
judge Nelson Gomez, and Dispute Resolution Chamber presiding 
judge Salvador Ramos.  The Ambassador, DCM Kubiske, WHA/CAR 
deputy director Smith, WHA executive assistant Friedman, and 
poloff accompanied the Assistant Secretary. 
 
U.S. Interest 
- - - - - - - 
 
4. (SBU) Assistant Secretary Noriega expressed concern about 
the Dominican presidential election process, which is getting 
underway during chaotic economic and financial circumstances. 
 He noted doubts among many Dominicans about the fairness of 
the presidential election process.  To help counter this low 
public confidence, he said the USG stood ready to support the 
JCE's declared goal of ensuring free, fair, transparent, and 
clean elections, including funding for international election 
observers.  The Assistant Secretary, based on his personal 
experience in observing elections in various countries, 
emphasized the JCE's crucial role in organizing an election 
that is free, fair, clean, and transparent.  To build 
confidence, the JCE should do this in dialogue with the 
political parties and civil society, which also have 
responsibilities in ensuring an environment conducive to a 
credible election. 
 
JCE's Credibility at Stake 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
5. (SBU) JCE Plenary presiding judge Arias replied that the 
Election Board would welcome as many international observers 
as necessary to achieve that goal.  The JCE's interest was to 
promote democracy, the credibility of institutions including 
the electoral arrangements, and the personal and professional 
credibility of the prominent jurists on the JCE.  Arias said 
the JCE would demonstrate its capability and will to ensure a 
clean and transparent process.  Electoral fraud, he asserted, 
was "an issue of the past."  The political parties had 
permenant representatives to the JCE, and the Board was 
keeping them informed of every step in the process. 
 
Logistical Preparation Nearly Finished 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
6. (SBU) JCE Administrative Chamber judge Gomez said all the 
arrangements for the election would be completed by the end 
of December, including agreement with political delegates on 
the composition of all municipal election boards.  Gomez 
anticipated that from January to April, during the campaign, 
the JCE would make adjustments to the process based on 
suggestions from the political parties and non-partisan NGOs 
(Note:  Such as the USAID-supported Participacion Ciudadana. 
End note.).  He said the JCE's computer system would enable 
announcement of the winner within three to four hours of the 
closing of the polls, reducing suspicions that arose in the 
past from extended vote counts.  (Comment: Based on 
historical experience, we doubt that the winner can be 
determined so quickly.  End comment.) 
 
7. (SBU) Gomez described planned fraud-prevention 
improvements: The hand-written ballot box counts from each 
polling table would be sealed in plastic to prevent 
alteration before they are entered in computers, each 
political party would receive signed copies, and the computer 
keypunchers would not know which candidate's returns they 
were entering.  Gomez said the JCE had resolved a dispute 
with the parties and an Election Follow-Up Commission of 
civil society representatives over the impartiality of the 
JCE's computer director by appointing a recognized computer 
expert with no party connections as the general administrator 
of data processing.  (Comment:  The JCE and Follow-Up 
Commission are still negotiating on acceptable job 
descriptions of these two officials.  End comment.) 
 
8. (SBU)  Gomez also claimed that, of 5.1 million voters 
nationwide, 5,053,000 already had valid i.d. cards (cedulas) 
to enable them to vote, and that new computer equipment being 
installed at JCE offices would enable the remaining 47,000 
voters to obtain their cedulas.  (Comment:  Our 
non-government contacts have told us that thousands of the 
existing i.d. cards have errors that could pose obstacles to 
voters on election day.  The JCE has previously said publicly 
and privately that it is taking corrective measures.  End 
comment.)  For the longer run, President Mejia has approved a 
JCE proposal to request assistance from international 
financial institutions to modernize the entire Dominican i.d. 
card system, to eliminate chronic problems.  The JCE 
estimates this project will require 10-12 million U.S. 
dollars.  The JCE's tentatively approved budget, about 1.6 
billion pesos of 1.8 billion requested, deletes funding for 
civil registry modernization. 
 
Resolving Election Disputes 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
9. (SBU) Dispute Resolution Chamber judge Ramos described the 
JCE's plans to train local election officials and poll 
workers, to reduce potential disagreements over election 
results.  The training is to include workshops for judges in 
the municipal election boards, on dispute resolution and 
administration of resources, and courses provided by 
universities and a USAID-supported NGO for poll workers. 
Also to reduce problems with the returns, universities are 
collaborating with the JCE to recruit 75,000 poll workers 
with better educational qualifications than in the past. 
Arias and Ramos told us the JCE has been fulfilling its 
duties in resolving disputes in the political parties' 
nomination process.  Since last March, Ramos and his 
colleagues have issued more than a dozen decisions on 
intra-party conflicts, based on each party's statutes and 
regulations.  The JCE expects to rule soon on the widening 
split among competing candidates in the ruling Dominican 
Revolutionary Party - PRD (Ref A).  (Note: The JCE has not 
yet announced a decision.  End note.)  Ramos said the JCE 
publishes the text of all its rulings, including the legal 
basis for each decision. 
 
Voting of Dominicans Abroad 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
10. (SBU) Judge Gomez explained that, for the first time, 
Dominicans living abroad would be entitled to vote.  Voting 
centers were being set up in Puerto Rico, New York City, New 
Jersey, the Boston area, Miami, and Tampa, as well as in 
Canada, Venezuela, and Spain.  Some 26,000 expatriate 
Dominicans were already registered.  The JCE was set to begin 
an advertising campaign to increase that number and had 
extended the registration deadline at those locations until 
January 16.  Gomez expressed confidence that the newly 
established voting arrangements abroad would work smoothly. 
 
International Observers 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
11. (SBU) Judge Arias said international observers would be 
invited soon, and he welcomed public support and comment on 
the electoral process by diplomats posted in the Dominican 
Republic.  Gomez said the JCE had approached "several 
countries" and the OAS and UN about sending observers or 
technical assistance.  (Comment:  Per Ref B, Embassy has 
requested funding from the Department to support proposed 
observer missions from NDI, IFES, and possibly the Carter 
Center and the OAS.  Some of these entities have proposed an 
observer presence beginning in January or February to cover 
the entire electoral process, a point that our Dominican 
political and non-government contacts have strongly 
recommended.  Embassy will take full and appropriate 
advantage of Arias's invitation to local diplomats.  End 
comment.) 
12. (U) This message was not reviewed by Assistant Secretary 
Noriega. 
HERTELL