US embassy cable - 05DARESSALAAM108

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000108 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, KDEM, KSEP, PREF, PGOV, PREL, TZ 
SUBJECT: SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY 
 
REF: A) SECSTATE 267453 
 
1. Per reftel A, the Tanzania submission for the Supporting 
Human Rights and Democracy Report is below. 
 
2. The United Republic of Tanzania is a multiparty state, 
although it is dominated by the long-ruling CCM party. 
Benjamin Mkapa is the President; his term will end in 
October, 2005.  Zanzibar, although integrated into the 
country's governmental and party structure, has its own 
President and legislature and exercises considerable 
autonomy.  While there have been improvements with respect 
to human rights in recent years, the Government's overall 
record remains poor.  In the lead-up to the 2005 elections, 
respect for political freedoms declined.  Members of the 
police and security forces mistreated suspected criminals. 
The judiciary is inefficient, understaffed and subject to 
corruption, limiting the right to fair and expeditious 
trials. Prison conditions remained harsh and life- 
threatening.  Trafficking in persons and child labor 
remained problems. 
 
The U.S. strategy aims to improve respect for human rights 
and to foster an environment for free and fair presidential 
and parliamentary elections in 2005.  Following the 2001 
post-election violence, the United States has focused on 
decreasing tensions on Zanzibar between the long-ruling CCM 
party and the main opposition political party, the Civic 
United Front.  In 2004, embassy officials met frequently 
with representatives from both parties.  Embassy officials 
also met regularly with Zanzibar's Joint Presidential 
Supervisory Committee and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission 
to voice continued U.S. support for the bipartisan "Muafaka" 
reconciliation accord. 
 
In 2004, the Embassy and USAID supported the creation of a 
Zanzibar permanent voter registry called for in the 
reconciliation agreement, an important prerequisite for free 
and fair elections in 2005.  Economic Support Funds [ESF] 
supported purchase of equipment for permanent voter registry 
on Zanzibar.  ESF funds were also used to fund a local NGO, 
the Tanzania Elections Monitoring Committee (TEMCO), which 
is observing the registration process on Zanzibar. 
 
Following violent confrontations at a few voter registration 
cites on Zanzibar, which left a teenage student dead and 
several others injured, the Charge' d' Affaires met with the 
President of Zanzibar to urge the Zanzibar government to 
ensure voter registration could continue, according to 
established procedures and in an environment of peace and 
security. 
 
The U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) 
democracy assistance program focuses on long-term efforts to 
build civil society and parliament for a more robust, 
accountable democracy.  USAID allocated $2 million toward a 
multi-year project to strengthen the national parliament's 
representative, lawmaking, and oversight functions.  In the 
budget presentations this year, parliamentary members more 
effectively exercised their oversight function, by 
questioning and amending several requested appropriations. 
USAID also works to strengthen civil society organizations 
involved in advocacy for policy changes.  After the passage 
of a controversial 2002 NGO Act, civil society successfully 
lobbied to have the government amend the law, a process that 
still continues. 
 
Judicial backlogs and limited police investigations skills 
hinder the right to fair and expeditious trial, a factor 
that aggravates severe prison overcrowding. The US State 
Department provided approximately $300,000 in multi-year 
funding for a forensic laboratory to improve police 
investigation skills, speed up investigations, and reduce 
the number of wrongful arrests and convictions. 
 
The US Embassy Public Affairs Section works to support a 
free press.  In 2004, the Embassy donated computers to press 
clubs in Tanzania to help them research articles. Public 
Affairs also hosted a workshop on investigative reporting 
for local journalists. Public Affairs also targets 
journalists for International Visitors programs targeting 
Human Rights issues.  A returning IV grantee published 
several favorable articles about religious tolerance in US. 
 
The Public Affairs Sections also pursues more targeted 
outreach for government policymakers. Under the 
international visitor programs, an outspoken female 
politician accompanied local ruling party officials on a 
conflict resolution study tour.  The Embassy honors Martin 
Luther King by naming a "Drum Major for Justice" laureate 
each year.  The prestigious award receives widespread 
publicity and attracts senior level government attendance. 
In 2005, Gertrude Mongella, President of the Pan-African 
Parliament, received the award for her pioneering work 
supporting woman rights. 
 
To ensure that all Tanzanians are able to exercise their 
right to vote in the 2005 elections, this year's Democracy 
and Human Rights Funds [DHRF] targeted potentially 
disenfranchised voters, the disabled and the youth.  The 
Embassy awarded a grant to the Tanzania League of the Blind 
to conduct a civic and voter education seminar for blind and 
visually impaired Tanzanians. Tanzania League of the Blind 
wants to improve the participation of blind persons in the 
coming 2005 elections by enabling more blind persons to 
register to vote, contest for seats in local government 
councils, municipality, and the parliament, to attend 
campaign rallies, and to ask candidates political questions 
or present critical issues for discussion during campaign 
meetings.  The second DHRF grantee, Global Network of 
Religions for Children [GNRC] will conduct workshops on 
civic-peace education for religious and youth leaders to 
ensure the youth and children understand the electoral 
process and their role as citizens/voters. GNRC will also 
work with religious leaders, focusing on the electoral 
process, and on the role of religious leaders in promoting 
free fair and peaceful elections and in enhancing good 
governance. 
 
The US government has consistently engaged the Tanzanian 
Government on the issue of refugee protection for the 
approximately 400,000 Great Lakes refugees in Tanzania. 
Demarches were made during the year to urge the government 
to continue their tradition of hosting refugees. In 
addition, the State Department supported programs to 
decrease the amount of rape and domestic violence in the 
refugee camps. 
 
The U.S. Labor Department continues to support a large multi- 
year program through the International Labor Organization to 
reduce the worst forms of child labor in Tanzania.  The Time 
bound program reduces the amount of children engaged in the 
worst forms of child labor through advocacy and targeted 
supported for vulnerable children. 
 
The US government has been active in raising awareness about 
trafficking in persons. This year the Embassy hosted a 
digital video conference that attracted senior policy 
makers, civil society, and the press.  The resulting news 
coverage helped inspire the government to move faster to 
target traffickers.  Embassy officials also meet with civil 
society, and government officials, and traveled to rural 
source areas to better understand and document the nature of 
human trafficking in Tanzania.  The Presidential Anti- 
Trafficking Initiative identified Tanzania as a focus 
country and will provide two million dollars of anti- 
trafficking assistance.  The Charge d' Affaires met with 
President Mkapa to gain government support for working with 
the US on these anti-trafficking programs. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
Required Addendum on USG human rights and democracy programs 
of 100,000 or more 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
Economic Support Funds, technical support for creation of 
permanent voter's registry on Zanzibar and local NGO 
registration monitoring. ($500,000 FY 2003, ESF funds) 
 
Strengthen Parliament ($495,000 ,FY 2005, USAID Program) 
 
Strengthen Civil Society ($495,000, FY 2005, USAID Program) 
 
Promote and Support Anti-Corruption Reforms ($400,000, FY 
2005, USAID Program) 
 
US Department of Labor, Time bound Anti-Child Labor program. 
Multi-year initiative, amount spent calendar or fiscal year 
2004 unavailable. 
 
State PRM for trafficking victim assistance program (500,000 
State PRM , FY 2004) 
 
Health Care for trafficking victims ($500,000, US Health 
Human Services, FY 2004) 
 
US Department of Justice creation of Tanzanian anti- 
trafficking inter-governmental task force ($1,000,000, 
Department of Justice, FY 2005) 
 
OWEN