US embassy cable - 04SANTODOMINGO1835

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SANTO DOMINGO 001835 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA-FRIEDMAN, WHA/CAR, WHA/PPC, WHA/USOAS, AND DRL 
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 
DHS FOR CIS-CARLOS ITURREGUI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, IO, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN ELECTION #30: OAS LAUNCHES OBSERVER 
MISSION 
 
REF: SANTO DOMINGO 1823 
 
1. (SBU) This is No. 30 in our series on the Dominican 
presidential election: 
 
OAS LAUNCHES ELECTION OBERVER MISSION 
 
Senior advisor Santiago Murray kicked off the U.S.-funded 
Organization of American States (OAS) election observation 
mission during a March 15-19 visit to Santo Domingo.  Murray 
serves in the OAS Unit for Promotion of Democracy.  An 
Argentine, he has observed elections in 10 Latin American 
countries over the past decade, including the Dominican 
presidential contests in 2000 and 1996.  The press played up 
his consultations with the Central Election Board (JCE) and 
President Mejia.  Murray met the main opposition candidates, 
the USAID-funded NGO "Citizen Participation," the Monitoring 
Commission of civic notables, and diplomats.  He gave the 
Ambassador an account of his week. 
 
Murray's visit toned down complaints that OAS observers would 
be inadequate or that the international community (read USG) 
would provide insufficient support.  Hours after Murray's 
March 19 departure, the Ambassador announced $325,000 for the 
OAS effort during his speech at the Foreign Secretariat's 
Diplomatic School.  Government-owned daily "Listin Diario" 
headlined this contribution in its report of the speech, 
which was mainly devoted to other issues (septel). 
 
The U.S. contribution encouraged other donors. EU Ambassador 
Miguel Amado learned of it from the Ambassador at a March 17 
lunch for Murray offered by the Spanish ambassador and 
offered an additional 80,000 euros (100,000 USD) from his 
locally available assistance funds.  Canadian Ambassador Adam 
Blackwell at his March 17 reception for Murray make public a 
promise of RD $1.5 million (31,000 USD) to upgrade equipment 
at the OAS office here that will serve as the observer 
mission's headquarters. 
 
In his 30-minute meeting with President Mejia, Murray 
reported widespread concerns that Mejia's ruling PRD might 
attempt election fraud and that the President was using 
government resources for campaign purposes.  Mejia flatly 
denied both allegations and offered "full guarantees and 
security" that there would be no electoral irregularities. 
He emphasized that he was campaigning with personal vehicles 
and other non-GODR resources.  Murray was clear: if any such 
abuses are verified during the election process and not 
corrected, the OAS mission will speak out. 
 
This came in a week when, almost daily, Mejia showed up in 
different provinces cutting ribbons on public works projects, 
from irrigation systems to housing.  In the province of Azua 
alone, the works were valued at RD $2 billion (40 million 
USD).  Mejia told the press March 14 he had visited 22 of the 
nation's 29 provinces since the start of the campaign and 
claimed to be "ahead of my adversaries" in 20 of them.  Most 
of these visits featured highly publicized inaugurations of 
local public works. 
 
In his call on the Ambassador March 18 Murray praised U.S. 
support of his mission. The Ambassador reiterated the offer 
of any appropriate Embassy assistance to the mission.  Murray 
assured us he would coordinate with any qualified 
international NGOs that might send observers, regardless of 
their funding soruces, and with the Embassy throughout the 
election process.  He raised the possibility that OAS SecGen 
Gaviria might visit on election day.  Murray expects the 
political atmosphere to get "tougher" in coming weeks, with 
the theme of low public confidence in the process, alleged 
partisan bias of the Central Election Board (JCE) and the 
controversy associated with Mejia's re-election bid, . 
 
Murray plans to return for a week in mid-April with a team of 
three technical experts (on computers, election logistics, 
and legal aspects). The OAS will establish eight 
international observers in different regions of the country. 
In early May, he will return and gradually build up to a team 
of 25 international observers.  All will stay through 
election day and four orfive days afterward to cover the vote 
count and any disputes.  The OAS will conduct a "quick count" 
at the close of the polls and provide the results to the 
election authorities, 
 
Earlier, Murray met at the Embassy with mid-level diplomats 
from 11 embassies and the UN and OAS offices here. Four more 
embassies were interested but could not attend, and we will 
keep them informed.  Murray outlined his proposal to organize 
a group of diplomats to work as election observers on May 16 
in coordination with the OAS mission.  Murray said the OAS 
would send a formal invitation to all the missions to solicit 
from their staffs mid-level volunteers for election observer 
duty.  Participants agreed agreed that upon receipt of the 
invitations, the volunteers will send their c.v.'s to OAS 
Resident Representative Bertha Santoscoy. The OAS will 
arrange for observer credentials to be issued by the JCE. 
Murray committed to meet again with the diplomats and to 
conduct technical orientation for them. 
 
2. (U)  Drafted by Bain Cowell. 
 
3. (U)  This report and others in our election series are 
available on the SIPRNET at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ index.cfm along 
with extensive other material. 
HERTELL