US embassy cable - 04CARACAS310

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 000310 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
USOAS FOR EIRVING 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, VE 
SUBJECT: SIGNATURE CHECK TURNS INTO SAUSAGE FACTORY 
 
 
Classified By: Mark Wells, Acting Political Counselor, 
 for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) The verification process of the signatures in support 
of recall votes against President Hugo Chavez and various 
National Assembly deputies proceeds at a snail's pace at the 
National Electoral Council (CNE).  The CNE board initially 
proposed restricting the access of international observers to 
parts of the verification process, but relented when the OAS 
mission threatened to withdraw from the process.  The 
signatures for the presidential recall are still in the 
physical verification stage.  Allegations persist of the 
CNE's prejudice against the signatures collected against 
President Chavez.  End summary. 
 
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CNE Director Zamora Criticizes CNE 
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2. (C) National Electoral Council (CNE) Vice President 
Ezequiel Zamora, who is aligned with the opposition, alleged 
publicly on January 24 that certain CNE workers were engaged 
in "sabotage" of the signature forms presented by the 
opposition in support of a recall referendum against 
President Hugo Chavez, forms that are now in the physical 
verification stage in the process (prior to transcription). 
Zamora claimed that the referral rate of questionable 
signature forms to the Superior Technical Committee were 
unusually high compared to that of the pro-GOV signature 
drive against opposition National Assembly deputies.  Zamora 
blamed the head of the informatics section, Leonardo 
Hernandez, for the disparate treatment.  (Note:  The Superior 
Technical Committee, in charge of adjudicating questionable 
signatures, will review referred forms and determine whether 
the forms can be forwarded to the transcription process, 
where individual signatures are checked.  The higher rate of 
referral could result in up to 116,000 signature forms for 
the committee to review.  End note.) 
 
3. (C) OAS observer mission official Edgardo Reis confirmed 
to poloff on January 27 that the referral rate for the 
presidential signature forms was 40 percent, a significant 
rise from the pro-GOV's rate of about four percent.  Reis 
said the informatics section ordered a change in criteria for 
the physical verification stage once the review of 
presidential forms began.  Reis opined that the move was not 
illegal, but would translate into a heavy burden for the 
Superior Technical Committee.  Reis commented that CNE 
workers are performing adequately, but added that absenteeism 
of the temporary workers in the physical inspection and 
transcription stages averaged between 15 and 20 percent. 
 
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OAS Threatens a Walkout 
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4. (C) Reis showed poloff an internal CNE memo dated January 
14 ordering the CNE's counsel to draft a resolution that 
limited observation of the verification process to the 
physical inspection and transcription steps.  Only CNE 
officials would be permitted access to the computer check, 
quality control, and Superior Technical Committee stages, 
according to the memo.  Learning of the proposal, OAS 
officials complained that imposing such restrictions would 
fatally undermine the observer mission.  Reis said the OAS 
mission, acting on instructions from OAS SYG Gaviria, told 
CNE officials that if observers were not granted necessary 
access, the mission would withdraw from the process.  Reis 
said the pro-opposition CNE Directors Zamora and Sobella 
Mejias had threatened to resign over the decision as well. 
 
5. (C) OAS mission leader Fernando Jaramillo requested 
formally on January 16 that the CNE include international 
observers in the quality control and committee review stages. 
 
 Reis said that Jaramillo and he expressed their concerns to 
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, who promised to speak to 
CNE officials about it.  Reis said he thought everything was 
smoothed out until on January 26, when Pro-Chavez Deputy 
Nicolas Maduro complained that the OAS was trying to become 
"the sixth member of the CNE board."  (Note:  The political 
proponents of each signature drive are also allowed observers 
in the process.  The proposal to limit observer access 
includes them as well.  End note.) 
 
6. (C) Reis admitted that observer presence in all stages of 
the process is not necessary in a technical sense so long as 
they are allowed to cull periodic samples from the rejected 
signatures.  He noted, however, the political value of having 
OAS observers covering multiple areas within the CNE.  Asked 
whether the CNE would fulfill the February 13 deadline, Reis 
said that it can, but probably would not at this pace.  He 
expressed concern over keeping the OAS team in place for more 
than one week beyond the deadline, noting limitations in 
financing. 
 
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CNE Apparently Gives In 
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7. (U) CNE President Francisco Carrasquero tried to settle 
the issue on January 27 by announcing that the international 
observers would be given "widened" access in order to assure 
total transparency.  Carrasquero said the CNE would consult 
with the OAS and Carter Center to work out the parameters of 
their participation in stages in question.  Carrasquero 
quelled rumors of discord within the CNE, noting that 
relations among the five rectors are cordial.  He announced 
that the CNE may let slip the February 13 deadline, adding 
that the work would be done by the end of February.  (Note: 
Former President Carter told the press January 27 that he 
understood the CNE would finish no later than March 1.  End 
note.) 
 
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Comment 
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8. (C) Despite the conflict over access, the OAS mission 
seems to have maintained good relations with the CNE.  OAS 
(and Carter Center) observer presence is crucial to the CNE's 
success.  We were concerned by the CNE's move to limit 
observation and by reports of prejudiced treatment of the 
presidential recall signatures, and so DAS DeShazo's message 
to CNE President Carrasquero on January 22 was timely.  The 
political pressure against the CNE -- internal and external 
-- is immense and will only increase as the verification 
process proceeds.  However, while the CNE process is neither 
graceful nor efficient, it is inching forward.  The January 
25-27 Carter visit contributed considerably to increasing CNE 
openness to the OAS and Carter Center, and to statements by 
President Chavez that he would respect whatever the CNE 
decided.  Our message should be of continued support for the 
CNE as arbiter of the process -- so long as there is 
international observation and the process is transparent. 
 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
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