US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI265

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000265 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/E, DRL; 
LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER; 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER; 
NAIROBI PLEASE PASS USAID/REDSO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, SOCI, DJ 
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - A ONE HORSE RACE 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Reed for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Mohamed Daoud Chehem, President of the 
opposition party, Djiboutian Party for Development (PDD), and 
his Secretary General Bouha Daoud, confirmed to Embassy that 
PDD has every intention of participating in the upcoming 
presidential elections. However, the Party lacks the funds 
and means necessary to officially enter his candidacy, 
according to Chehem. Chehem also addressed rumors of his 
candidacy being supported by the Government. He said his 
inability to submit the 5 million DF (28,000 USD) guarantee 
needed to be a candidate was proof to the contrary. Chehem 
also outlined his party's political stance and commented on 
the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI). Despite 
numerous calls for additional candidates, the Minister of 
Interior confirmed in La Nation, the government-run 
newspaper, the only candidate running is President Ismail 
Omar Guelleh and elections will be held as scheduled April 
8th, 2005. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) In a March 7th meeting with Pol/Econ, Mohamed Daoud 
Chehem, President of the opposition party Djiboutian Party 
for Development (PDD) and his General Secretary Bouha Daoud, 
clarified Chehem's intention to be a candidate in the April 
8th Presidential elections, his inability to do so due to 
financial and material constraints, and rumors circulating 
regarding his possible candidacy. Chehem said he had been in 
Europe since February 7th campaigning and trying to raise the 
necessary funds to submit his candidacy. While he received 
"100 percent" support politically from the Djiboutian 
diaspora in Europe, he was unable to gather the financial 
support he needed. His press release of February 14th called 
for financial support from Djiboutians in Europe, Canada and 
the United States to contribute financially to his campaign 
in order to "get rid of the current regime." 
 
3. (C) Chehem noted that Pol/Econ should have received a copy 
of his latest press release stating his candidacy was 
prevented by a lack of funds, which according to him was a 
last attempt to gather the 5 million Djiboutian Franc (DF) 
(28,000 USD) guarantee from the Djiboutian community. Chehem 
then stated it was PDD's full intention to participate in the 
elections. He also cited this lack of funds to be proof that 
rumors saying Guelleh had given him 75 million DF (424,000 
USD) to compete against him in the elections were completely 
false. 
 
4. (C) He also discussed PDD's view on the National 
Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) and why, even though 
they were participating, they refused to send representatives 
to the CENI. Chehem described the composition of the CENI as 
unfair; representatives from the National Assembly are from 
the same party as representatives from the Government. This 
made the CENI impossibly unbalanced. Chehem pointed out the 
opposition made a formal judicial complaint during the 
legislative elections of January 2003, which had not been 
answered to date, requesting the CENI's composition be 
reformulated to be an even representation of the two sides. 
Pol/Econ asked why the opposition, or his party, did not send 
a representative to the CENI knowing that the law stipulates 
that all parties must approve the composition of the CENI 
before it can be sworn in. Chehem merely repeated his above 
statement and commented that the Government only has a 
conception of democracy on paper. He said opposition protests 
would not get any action from the Government. In his view, 
the Government does not see the opposition as a political 
adversary, but rather an enemy. He said there is an 
atmosphere of suspicion and fear in Djibouti's political 
scene that started once Guelleh came into office. 
 
5. (U) Comment: Djibouti's nightly news on Radio Television 
Djibouti (RTD) broadcasted a message March 7th alerting any 
remaining candidates that wished to submit their official 
declaration of candidacy had only one day left to do so. The 
drop-dead deadline for candidacy submissions was set for 
Midnight, Tuesday, March 8th. RTD also noted that President 
Guelleh submitted his official candidacy during the morning 
of March 7th. The Government-run newspaper, La Nation, 
printed a statement March 10th from the Minister of Interior 
confirming that no other candidate aside from Guelleh had 
submitted their official candidacy. The Minister's statement 
also confirmed the elections would be held April 8th as 
planned. End Comment. 
RAGSDALE