US embassy cable - 05DARESSALAAM101

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000101 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/E, AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, ECON, AMGT, TZ, KTER 
SUBJECT: FY 2005 ESF Request for Electoral Assistance 
 
REF: A) State 4550, B) 04 Dar es Salaam 2600, C) 04 Dar es 
 
Salaam 2349,  D) 04 Dar es Salaam 3591, D)Dar es Salaam 1935 
 
1.  Embassy Dar es Salaam requests $500,000 ESF to fund 
Tanzanian Electoral Observation NGOs during the campaign and 
vote in the General Elections of October 2005.  Any funding 
in excess of the immediate requirement to establish an 
election observation project would be directed toward long- 
term programs to build the capacity of NGOs promoting civic 
and voter education, and good governance. 
 
2.  Justification: The general elections, set for October 
30, 2005 are an important milestone for Tanzania's emerging 
democracy.  2005 ESF funding would build on our MPP goal to 
assist Tanzania's democratic transition by continuing our 
programs to strengthen Tanzania's democratic institutions 
and facilitate free and fair elections.  Much of our focus 
has been on semi-autonomous Zanzibar, which has a history of 
troubled elections, which are typically followed by 
bipartisan agreements to implement remedial electoral 
reforms.  The local elections of November 2004 also revealed 
a pattern of electoral irregularities on the Tanzanian 
mainland, especially in those few districts where opposition 
parties pose a significant challenge to the ruling CCM.  Our 
priority for 2005 ESF funding is to support Tanzanian NGOs 
to observe the electoral campaign and the vote. 
Fortunately, we have a strong working relationship with 
consortium of democracy NGOs, TEMCO, that has already 
demonstrated the capacity to mount a comprehensive, nation- 
wide election observation effort, and the willingness to 
issue a hard-hitting report when its teams observe electoral 
irregularities.  We would be prepared to work with other 
NGOs as well, to extend the reach of the voter observation 
effort, as well as to build the capacity of Tanzanian civil 
society.  This national election observation project would 
complement our proposal to fund international observers 
through the SADC Parliamentary Forum.  (See reftel C.)    If 
funding levels permit, we would also work with NGOs that 
focus on civic and voter education and the promotion of good 
governance.  Alone, few of these local NGOs have the 
capacity to deliver a comprehensive civic education program 
prior to the October elections.  However, several civic 
education NGOs recently group joined forces to develop 
common materials for civic and voter education projects.  By 
assisting these NGOs, we could use ESF to build domestic NGO 
capacity for civic education. 
 
3.  We are aware of new restrictions barring assistance to 
governments that are party to the ICC and that have not 
signed Article 98 agreements with the US.  We nonetheless 
believe there is considerable potential to contribute to 
democratic consolidation by working with NGOs during this 
election year. 
 
4.  The project would be administered through USAID's office 
of Democracy and Governance.  The DNG office has intensified 
its dialogue with USAID/AFR/SD and USAID/DCHA on the 
Mission's program of electoral assistance on this and 
related electoral assistance programs. 
 
Owen